DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, Fla. (WMBB) — Deputies attempting to do a sex offender check found two dead dogs who were locked inside a kennel without access to food or water, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.
“Deputies were attempting to conduct a sex offender check on Eric Antonio Roberts, 49, of Honeysuckle Street in DeFuniak Springs when they noticed a strong odor coming from inside the residence,” they wrote.
When no one came to the door they entered the home and found the dogs.
“The animals were chained together using a padlock and did not have access to food or water. The electricity had been turned off inside the home and the back door had also been padlocked,” deputies wrote.
They found Roberts a short time later at a gas station on Highway 90 and he confirmed his address and that the dogs were his.
Deputies then found cocaine on Roberts during his arrest, they added.
He is charged with two counts of aggravated animal cruelty and possession of cocaine. He is being held on a $15,000 bond.
