LAKE WALES, Fla. (WFLA) — Five people were arrested Sunday in a Polk County investigation into animal cruelty and environmental crimes.
The Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office initiated a probe following a report about two horses that seemed to be underfed in a field on Poe Road in Lake Wales.
Deputies who located the horses noted that one was severely underweight, with visible ribs and hip bones. The other was discovered collapsed in its own feces, barely able to breathe and unable to lift its head, and unfortunately, it had passed away before detectives could respond.
As per the detectives’ findings, several adults and children were residing in different structures on the premises, which also had numerous environmental dangers like heaps of solid waste, decaying household garbage, scrap metal, and broken appliances strewn across the area.
Detectives said they also uncovered a trough filled with a mixture of antifreeze and gasoline that had leaked into the animals’ drinking water.
The homeowner, Joemanuel Nunez-Suarez, 41, claimed ownership of the livestock, which included eight horses, 11 goats, and two sheep. Nunez-Suarez told detectives that he was taking care of the animals for a friend, but had told the friend to come get the animals three months prior, as it was too expensive to feed them.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested Nunez-Suarez and charged him with animal cruelty. Barbara Suarez, who owned one of the horses, was also arrested and charged with resisting arrest and animal neglect.
Jorge Almeida Rodriguez and Idanyas Queveto were arrested and charged with environmental crimes. Additionally, Polk County deputies arrested Hennycha Rosa Rosa, who was charged with resisting arrest.
“We appreciate the tipster who alerted us to the deplorable conditions on this property. It’s a shame we were unable to save one of the abused horses, but we will make it our mission to rehabilitate all of the animals that were subjected to this filth and neglect, and ensure these suspects are never again allowed to own animals,” said Sheriff Grady Judd.
All of the animals were seized by PCSO to be rehabilitated. One of the rescued horses was a 2-year-old stallion named Thunder, who was kept in a small barn and never let out to pasture.
