JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville man is facing multiple animal cruelty charges after he allegedly left a severely underweight mother dog and her three puppies abandoned in a home with no food, water or air conditioning.
Darius Pearson, 30, was arrested last week and charged with one felony count of aggravated animal cruelty and three misdemeanor counts of confining animals without sufficient food, water or exercise, according to an arrest report.
On Aug. 5, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office conducted a well-being check on animals at a home on Alan Avenue after an officer became aware of a social media complaint from several people reporting multiple dogs abandoned inside, the report stated.
When the officer arrived at the house, he saw four pit bulls– a mother dog named Zena and her three puppies — through the front window. The dogs were thin, with their spines, ribs and hips appearing to protrude against their skin, according to the report.
Inside, the home appeared vacant and trash was littered throughout, the report stated. Dog feces could also be seen on the floor and the officer reported feeling no air coming from the home’s vents.
According to the report, social media complaints submitted to the agency said neighbors were attempting to give the dogs food and water through “faulty, unsecured areas of the home,” but none had physically entered the home because they feared being accused of trespassing.
During the officer’s visit, the dogs escaped from the home into the front yard. All four dogs were placed in the back of the officer’s patrol car and later turned over to Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services, the report stated.
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Multiple witnesses who later spoke with officers said they advised Pearson to surrender his dogs to ACPS because of concerns about his ability to care for them, according to the report. One witness, Pearson’s former partner, told investigators Pearson moved out of the house about a month earlier because the air conditioner was not working.
In a later interview with law enforcement, Pearson allegedly told investigators he paid a friend $500 to stay at the house and watch his dogs while he was working out of town. When he couldn’t reach his friend over the phone, Pearson said he sent his brother to check on the dogs and learned the friend had packed up and left the house — but left Pearson’s dogs behind.
According to the report, Pearson initially claimed he had a written contract with his friend, identified as Mark Williams, dated July 13 to care for the dogs. When he provided investigators with the agreement, an officer noted it “appeared to have been very recently written.”
After further questioning, Pearson admitted he had written the agreement the day before and the two only had a verbal agreement, according to the report. Pearson also admitted Williams had never agreed to care for the dogs and that he learned about two weeks earlier that Williams had left the house.
Pearson told investigarors he knew the dogs were still inside without food or water while he was out of town but did not ask anyone else for help because he could not afford to pay them, the report stated.
On Aug. 7, an ACPS officer involved in the investigation received a text from an unknown number stating, “This is Mark Williams Darius asked me if I could watch the dogs and I’m homeless and needed the money. I took the money and left the dogs and got high.”
Investigators were unable to reach Williams or verify who sent the message, according to the report.
Pearson’s bonds were set at $55,012 and he was ordered not to possess any animal. He is set to be arraigned Sept. 14.
