A couple accused in an armed robbery at a Florida hardware store also faces animal cruelty charges, police said.
At 2:00 p.m. on February 11, Cape Coral Police Department officers were called to a Lowe’s store to investigate a robbery. Lost prevention personnel alerted police that a man and woman wearing matching Cookie Monster pajama pants attempted to leave the store with unpaid items. According to a press release, the man allegedly “pointed a gun in his waistband and threatened the suspect” during questioning. The woman is accused of spitting at the store’s loss prevention staff.
Just before 1 a.m. on February 12, 22-year-old Charlie Jorge Perez and 19-year-old Jarina Annalis Sepulveda were arrested on suspicion of robbery and taken to the Lee County Jail.
The same morning, a search warrant was executed on a home in Cape Coral. Police said they noticed a “strong odor of animal feces and urine.”
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In this surveillance screenshot, the two can be seen wearing matching Cookie Monster pajama pants. (Cape Coral Police Department)
Police said they found four mixed-breed French bulldogs in cages in the couple’s bedroom. The dogs appeared to have been kept in cages for some time and were suffering from a skin disease called cutaneous mange. CCPD said the animals also had open wounds.
Police said one of the dog’s toes was stuck in the bottom of the cage and was swollen. They reportedly noticed feces in water bowls and cages, creating an unsanitary environment for the animals.
Witnesses told officers they believed the dogs had not been let out of their cages in four months.
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Lee County Sheriff’s Office booking photo of Jalina Annalize Sepulveda. (Cape Coral Police Department)
Lee County Animal Control responded. They had to free the dogs’ legs from their cages, remove dogs that needed additional assistance from their cages, and transport two of them to an animal control van.
Three other dogs were found in the living room of the home, which investigators said were “much healthier” than the dogs found in the bedroom. Three healthy-looking cats were also found in the house.
As the French bulldogs’ condition worsened, all 10 were captured by animal control and taken for treatment.
Charlie Jorge Perez is charged with four counts of animal cruelty and one count of robbery with a firearm. (Cape Coral Police Department)
Police allege Perez and Sepulveda ignored the dog and caused unnecessary pain and suffering. They willingly gave up ownership of the animals.
Perez is charged with four counts of animal cruelty and one count of robbery with a firearm.
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Sepulveda is charged with four counts of animal cruelty, one count of robbery with a firearm and one count of battery.
The two remain in custody, according to online jail records. They are scheduled to appear in court on March 5.
