LEHIGH ACRES, FLORIDA: A Florida man has been taken into custody after his disturbing social media post about the death of his pet dog alerted the officers with the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
Following an investigation into the case, Anthony Knight of Lehigh Acres was arrested and charged with felony animal cruelty after authorities found evidence indicating the dog had been left to die in a cage with no ventilation or water.
Who is Anthony Knight?
According to local news NBC2, Knight uploaded two Facebook posts. One read "$10,000 down the drain" while the other was captioned, "Came home to 2 dead dogs within a year. And it was actually my fault this time."
An investigation into the pet dog's death began after authorities received a message from a concerned individual who alerted them of Knight's shocking social media posts.
"Early this morning, the Lee County Sheriff's Office received a message on Facebook Messenger from a concerned citizen in reference to a possible deceased dog. The original post was reviewed and the context of the message was disturbing," read LCSO's statement.
"The message was shared with our Animal Cruelty Task Force and analysts in the Real-Time Intelligence Center, who immediately began an investigation," the statement continued.
Knight's pet dog died with her face in an empty bowl
After authorities visited Knight's residence, they discovered the tragic fate of his pet dog, named Kalea whom the police said died with her face in an empty bowl.
"It was discovered Kalea was left in a cage within the garage with no ventilation or water, where she died with her face in an empty bowl," LCSO stated and added, "After a search warrant was granted, the Kalea's remains were collected and sent for a necropsy."
Knight was previously convicted of marijuana and cocaine possession
According to LCSO authorities, Knight's arrest comes amid his probation as he had previously faced convictions related to marijuana and cocaine possession, along with other charges including "fleeing to elude and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon."
"He got a ride in the fully air-conditioned Marceno Motel Courtesy Van, a courtesy he didn't extend to Kalea. ACTF would like to remind you that heat poses a deadly danger to your animals," read the LCSO post said.
"See it, say it, make the call, it works. The hero that reported this ensured that this dredge of society will face justice," Sheriff Carmine Marceno stated in the post.
