Charleroi man faces animal cruelty charges Police accuse suspect of abandoning pit bulls in filthy apartment
CHARLEROI – A Charleroi man is accused of abandoning two pit bull terriers in March in a filthy apartment littered with heroin paraphernalia.
Charleroi Regional police Monday filed two counts each of cruelty to animals and possession of drug paraphernalia against Victor R. Brown, 29, of 513 Fallowfield Ave., after they recovered his dogs March 26 from an apartment whose owner had Brown and another man evicted, court records show.
Police said they heard the dogs barking when they went March 24 to 1018 Fallowfield Ave. to follow up on a drug overdose, leaving an officer’s business card at the door after it appeared no one was there, the affidavit indicates.
Two days later, the landlord, David Armstrong, left a voicemail for police, telling them no one should be at the apartment because the water was turned off there after everyone was evicted.
Armstrong later gave police permission to break into the apartment, accompanied by a humane officer, to retrieve the dogs.
Police determined the animals were abandoned without food or water in the apartment, which was fouled with urine and feces.
They said they also found four empty heroin stamp bags and five syringes in the apartment.
Brown’s former roommate at 1018 Fallowfield Ave., Rogelio Carrillo, 26, of 215 Hart St., Houston, also faces possession of drug paraphernalia charges.
The men were sent summonses Monday to appear on the charges before District Judge Larry Hopkins.