[StBernard] 32 dead dogs found in St. Bernard man's freezer

[Westley Annis]

32 dead dogs found in St. Bernard man's freezer

wwltv.com
Posted on August 14, 2013 at 3:17 PM
Updated today at 7:03 PM
WWLTV.com
Email: webteam at wwltv.com | Twitter: @WWLTV

ST. BERNARD PARISH, La. -- Deputies arrested a man and booked him with 32
counts of cruelty to animals after dozens of dead dogs were found inside of
his freezer at an Arabi home, according to the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's
Office.

Sheriff James Pohlmann said there were no obvious signs of trauma on the
dogs and the suspect, Juan Toledo, denied killing them.

Toledo, 52, was arrested late Tuesday night after someone tipped off
authorities.

The sheriff's office said Toledo claimed the dogs just died and that rather
than bury them, he stored them in the refrigerator or freezer.

A sheriff's office spokesman said Toledo was arrested because either his
actions, or simple neglect resulted in the deaths. No living animals were
found at the home and the remains of the deceased dogs were turned over to
animal control.

A judge will set bond Thursday morning for Toldeo, now being held without
bond in St. Bernard Parish Prison.

The sheriff's office said that Toledo was out on a $50,000 bond for an
arrest in St. Bernard Parish on July 1. Toledo was booked with aggravated
batter of a woman who was said to be his girlfriend at the time.

According to the sheriff's office, Toledo has served time in prison in the
late 1980s and early 1990s for burglary. Also, he was arrested in New
Orleans on a murder charge in 1983 but apparently was never convicted,
Sheriff Pohlmann said.

The woman Toledo allegedly beat, who broke up with him after the incident,
she said, claimed to find the dead dogs in the refrigerator and attached
freezer when she went to the residence Tuesday evening to get things she
left there.  

She called authorities and Toledo was found by sheriff's deputies about 8
p.m. while walking on West St. Bernard Highway not far from his residence
and went back to his home for questioning, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

The suspect signed a consent form for deputies to enter and after the dead
animals were found sheriff's detectives interviewed the suspect.

Twenty-nine of the dogs were puppies, some only several inches long and
possibly only a week-old, Sheriff Pohlmann said, and three were older dogs
of possible mixed German shepherd breed.