PHOENIX - The son and daughter-in-law of U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake both pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges alleging that they allowed 21 dogs to die at a Gilbert kennel in June.
Austin and Logan Flake were charged in October on allegations that dogs in Green Acre Dog Boarding died overnight on June 20, likely from suffocation, without anyone contacting emergency services.
Owners Jesse Todd and Malesia Maurine Hughes said a dog had chewed through the power cord of the room’s air conditioner after the caretakers left the facility that night. Investigators with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said in July that there was no evidence of a chewed-up electrical wire.
The couple was vacationing in Florida at the time, according to authorities, and their daughter Logan Flake and son-in-law Austin Flake were left in charge to watch the dogs.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced in October that all four suspects had been indicted by a grand jury. The next court date for the Flakes, who face charges of 21 felony counts and seven misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals, will be January 2.
The Hughes' were charged with 22 felony counts and seven misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. They also face one felony count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, which Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said relates to them allegedly misrepresenting their facilities to dog owners.
No comments:
Post a Comment