A Boston man faces animal cruelty charges after three dead dogs were found in an abandoned U-Haul van in the city's Mattapan neighborhood Tuesday night.
William Cobb, 33, was arrested in Weymouth Friday on a warrant. He is charged with three counts of animal cruelty.
STAY IN THE KNOW
 |
Watch NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
 |
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters. |
This all stems from an investigation that started Tuesday, when someone called 911 to report the dogs inside the van, parked on Edgewater Drive near Topalian Street, according to a police report. The caller said the van had been abandoned at the location for some time and was emitting a terrible smell.
Officers who arrived and unlocked the van confirmed the awful smell and found bugs flying around inside, according to the report. They saw a dead dog inside a crate — eventually, the bloated bodies of three dogs, two female and one male, were removed from the vehicle.
329 medal events. 32 sports. Endless drama. Catch all the action at the Paris Olympics. Sign up for our free Olympics Headlines newsletter.
Witnesses told investigators that the dogs had been alive within the previous few days, including on July 4, when barking was heard from the vehicle while fireworks went off in the area. A witness also said that they saw two people with cleaning supplies at the van Monday morning, and officers observed a bottle of bleach on the sidewalk nearby, according to the report.
The U-Haul, which had a bag of dog food inside, had not been reported stolen, but the officers weren't able to determine where van had been rented from, the report said. Witnesses also said they'd seen the van being driven around the area.
Yves Vilarson, who lives nearby, said the van had been there for weeks. Recently, he noticed flies and a smell coming off it.
The report didn't say how the dogs are believed to have died, though temperatures reached into the 90s at the start of the week in Boston.
Cobb will be arraigned in Dorchester District Court.
