A Batavia couple who lives on Walnut Street in the city is facing multiple charges relating to animal cruelty, according to a press release this afternoon from Batavia PD.
Brandon M. Maldonado, 26, of 52 Walnut St., is charged with aggravated cruelty to an animal and offering a false written statement.
His live-in girlfirend, 36-year-old Melissa A. Broadbent, is charged with: "overdriving, torturing and injuring" an animal; endangering the welfare of a child; first-degree coercion; offering a false written statement; intimidating a witness or victim in the third degree; and owning/harboring an unlicensed dog.
Both were arraigned in front of City Court Judge Durin Rogers and put in Genesee County Jail without bail.
On Aug. 3, Batavia Police Officer Flanagan and Animal Control Officer Sheflin received a report that Maldonado poured scalding water on a young pit bull named "Rocky" sometime between July 20-21 at his residence. This resulted in second-degree burns on the dog's shoulders and rib cage, causing considerable pain.
Through the officers' investigation, it was determined that Broadbent lied to the police and instructed her children to do the same thing -- pour scalding water on the dog -- in an attempt to prevent Maldonado from being arrested.
The couple was subsequently arrested. Rocky was taken to a vet where he was treated for his injuries and is now in the care and custody of the GC Animal Shelter.
Way too upset and disgusted
Way too upset and disgusted to comment....
Yes, the charges are
Yes, the charges are reprehensible, but we still don't allow personal attacks.
Sorry Howard, it wasn't
Sorry Howard, it wasn't personal. I just have very limited tolerance for anyone who would torture a dog and then make a kid an accomplice. Being a scumbag is one thing, recruiting innocents to take the fall for you is incomprehensible. Maybe not in Batavia but everywhere else in the world. I would die for my dog and my kids. If you can torture a dog, you can torture a child, you know that, it is a fact. Please delete at your pleasure, I hope they get the max.
But, I still love you and
But, I still love you and Billie. You are kind of like my virtual dogs that I don't have to feed or let out to pee. I know that is a weird compliment but it is still a compliment. Suck it up and soldier on old dude. California, a great place to visit but I wouldn't want to be from there. Especially if I moved to Batavia. Has anyone besides you and Billie actually moved to Batavia? I thought you had to be born there so you could escape once you were old enough to know right from wrong. Wink, dink, cha cha cha.
Someday I hope to visit you
Someday I hope to visit you Howard, you are the wind beneath my wings. Like I have wings, ha ha ha. Keep on keeping on until the good and righteous people of Batavia run you out of town on a rail. I know my homeland all too well. It's the South deep in the Northern wastedlands, it could be so much better. And you are trying to make that happen, good luck with that unlikely endeavor buddy.
Punishment should fit the
Punishment should fit the crime.
Pour scalding water on both of these two.
I have seen personal attacks
I have seen personal attacks that were never removed. I guess it depends on the definition of a personal attack. Melissa has been very vocal about how she was innocent of other charges that I won't elaborate on. Just seems like the same people whining about the same "poor me" nonsense then gets charged with something like this. That dog did not get those horrible wounds from the wind. That pictures brings tears to my eyes and makes me sick to my stomach. If trouble follows you everywhere, you need to start wondering if YOU are the problem. At least the dog looks happy to be away from his tormenters.
If we judge it a personal
If we judge it a personal attack, we remove it. It's also quite possible that we removed a comment after you had already read it. Finally, these things are often purely a subjective judgement call. I'm sure we've made the wrong call on both sides of the line at one time or another. It remains our call to make. We make no claim to be perfect. Just do the best we can to keep things civil.
I personal would attack any
I personally would attack any man, woman or child of any race, creed or color who could do that to a dog or kid or any other living creature (except cockroaches or ants) and never feel a twinge of guilt. I mean with a crowbar, not words. Sticks and stones may break your bones and I say hell yeah, break some bones.
No problem, you do not owe me
No problem, you do not owe me any explanations. Just my observation which is probably horribly wrong;)