BENTON, AR – Law enforcement looking for escaped murderer Curtis Reese, Jr. found a house in Benton Wednesday full of caged animals who were not being cared for, according to police.
"They were horribly skinny," said Lt. Kevin Russell with the Benton Police Department. "They looked like they hadn't been fed hardly at all, if at all, recently."
A search of the house located at 694 Latimer Drive found dogs and cats in cages stacked throughout the house. Police say some of the animals were dead or in very poor condition.
"We had no idea," said neighbor James Toland. "We always hear dogs. Dogs bark all the time. But we didn't know the house was full of them."
According to the release, “[t]here were no utilities at the home to provide heat or air conditioning, and they were covered in excrement. Additionally, there was no evidence they had been given any food or water recently.”
Friday, police arrested the homeowner, 48-year-old Dorothy Braithwaite, on 23 counts of aggravate animal cruelty, which is a felony. The surviving animals were taken to Benton Animal Control for care.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to please contact the Benton Police Department at 778-1171 or 315-TIPS.
