Broward County Sheriff’s Department said Brendan Evans (pictured) , 31, was arrested and charged with animal cruelty
A Florida man accused of repeatedly stabbing a pit bull puppy and leaving it for dead inside a suitcase was arrested on Wednesday on animal cruelty charges.
Broward County Sheriff’s Department said Brendan Evans, 31, will remain in custody despite receiving a $100,000 bond due to criminal charges stemming from an unrelated case, according to Sun Sentinel.
On October 10, police in Hollywood, Florida heard crying coming from a blue suitcase in an abandoned building.
Inside, they found a bloody dog that had been repeatedly stabbed and beaten beaten, suffering more than 50 deep cuts on his head and body.
They took the dog to an animal hospital for treatment and named him Ollie. Two days later, Ollie succumbed to his wounds and died while in veterinary care.
‘When he died, there were tears everywhere,’ said VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital spokesperson Linda Ream.
A pit bull puppy doctors named Ollie was beaten and stabbed before being stuffed in a suitcase on October 10
Ollie had been discovered inside an abandoned building and stuffed inside a blue suitcase in Hollywood, Florida
‘It was silent in the building. Our doctors worked so hard to give Ollie that chance to stay with us.’
The story received massive media attention, with people shocked at the level savagery Ollie endured while outraged animal rights advocates raised money for the wounded dog’s treatment.
The story received massive media attention, with people shocked at the level savagery Ollie endured
Sarah Anne Mourer, Evans’s defense lawyer, said that the high bond was not surprising given the public awareness of the case.
‘Obviously there’s been a lot of publicity and the judge is looking at that and so she’s setting a higher bond to make a statement about this very upsetting case,’ Mourer said.
In Florida, animal cruelty is a third-degree felony. If convicted, Evans faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, the Sentinel reported.
During a search of Evans home on November 14, police discovered several mutilated animals including decapitated rats stuffed into the freezer and a pair of severed cat paws.
Police said that Evans violated his probation from an unrelated case and will remain in custody despite receiving a $100,000 bond
Evans told police he practices Afro Caribbean religions and claimed to be a ‘voodoo priest’ in an online post
Police discovered several decapitated rats and a pair of severed cat paws during a search of Evans’s apartment
Authorities also said that they found knives covered in blood, animal fur in several rooms and an 18-inch machete.
According to an affidavit, Evans told police that he practiced traditions associated with Afro Caribbean religions and claimed to be a ‘voodoo priest’ on several social media posts.
Police said they also found several notes in Evans’s apartment, with one reading: ‘Make the entire pit bull investigation go away. Return all curses placed on Brendan to their sender. Give Brendan peace of mind.’
When Broward county sheriff’s charged Evans on Wednesday, he was already in police custody after being arrested earlier in the week for violating the terms of his probation stemming from a 2015 bank robbery in Hernando County.
‘We will not tolerate any form of animal cruelty or violence in our city,’ Police Chief Chris O’Brien said Wednesday.
‘Each reported case of animal cruelty, be it physical abuse or neglect, is disturbing, and this case is particularly heartbreaking.’