Three Flint residents are facing charges after authorities said they found a young boy and several dead and abused dogs inside a squalid home in the city.
AT&T employees recently were working on a project outside a home on Maple Avenue in Flint when they noticed a manhole cover that had been lifted, said Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson in a video posted Wednesday on Facebook.
The workers determined that $30,000 worth of Wi-Fi cable for the project they were working on had been cut and hidden.
Deputies were called to the scene, Swanson said, and learned the wire theft was “just the first part” of several crimes that had taken place in and around the residence.
Deputies found a 9-year-old boy living in the home. He was removed, Swanson said, and Child Protective Services placed him in a safe place to live.
Before seeing the boy, Swanson said, “They saw a dead dog, right out front, in a cage next to a live dog.”
Inside the house were two dead dogs, including a puppy whose body was found lying in a pizza box, the sheriff said. Two other dogs were alive but emaciated, and did not have access to water.
“You don’t treat animals this way,” Swanson said.
One adult dog and a puppy that were still alive were seized by animal control officers.
Charged in the incident are Charles Ashbaker, 38; Kelly Walker, 29; and Dougal Nelson Jr., 47, all of Flint.
The suspects each were arraigned March 7 in 67th District Court in Flint.
Online court records show Ashbaker and Walker face felony charges of killing/torturing animals and abandoning/cruelty to animals, plus a misdemeanor charge of child abuse.
Ashbaker faces two additional felony charges for firearm violations.
Nelson is charged with receiving and concealing stolen property, possession of methamphetamine or ecstasy and resisting arrest, all felonies.
All three are scheduled to return to court Thursday for a probable cause hearing at 8:30 a.m.
“These are the individuals that could have, at any point, called 911 and said, ‘I can’t take care of my dogs. I can’t take care of this child,'” Swanson said.
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
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