- North Carolina, USA -
The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office said 19-year-old CALEB DANIEL DEWALD (pictured below), faces animal cruelty charges after investigators linked him to videos that showed him abusing and killing small animals.
The sheriff’s office said in a news release: “We received a tip via Crimestoppers that a Winston-Salem resident was not only trapping, torturing, and killing small animals but also posting videos of it on social media platforms.”
JournalNow reports that according to three warrants, DEWALD is accused of abusing three squirrels and a possum from December 1, 2018, to June 29.
Two warrants specifically accuse DEWALD of capturing a squirrel on December 30, 2018, and a possum on July 25, 2019.
According to the warrants, DEWALD trapped the defenseless victims in metal cages, he then submerged the squirrel into a trash can and the possum into a container, both filled with water.
Both victims struggled until they drowned.
With reference to the two squirrels DEWALD captured in metal cages between December 1, 2018, and June 29, a warrant states that DEWALD sprayed one of the two squirrels with WD-40 oil before setting the poor soul on fire with matches.
DEWALD is accused of allowing that squirrel to burn for two minutes and fifty-six seconds.
As for the third squirrel, the warrant said that DEWALD is accused of wrapping the small animal in tape and other materials, putting him/her in a plastic zip bag, throwing the squirrel on the ground, and throwing a large rock on the trapped animal.
As if that was not cruel and sick enough, DEWALD then stomped on the poor squirrel while the animal was still alive.
Each time he inflicted torture on someone unable to fight back, he filmed his sick actions and posted the atrocity on social media.
News2 reports that it was PETA who provided the videos to the sheriff’s office.
An investigation led to DEWALD’s arrest on July 9.
Captain Van Loveland, with the Forsyth Sheriff’s Office’ Animal Services Division, said: “It’s very heart-wrenching for me. I take my job seriously and even though these are animals and I know there are hunting and things like that, but the treatment we saw in these videos was not for anything of survival or anything like that, and so it was very devastating to me to see the evidence we received in the case, and I’m glad we were able to bring a resolution to it.”
DEWALD was charged with four counts of felony animal cruelty, a Class H Felony.
The filthy murderer, of Yeaton Glen Drive, appeared before the Magistrate and was being held in the Forsyth County Jail with his bond set at $7,500.
His preliminary court date is set for July 29, 2021.
The sheriff’s office said anyone with information related to this investigation should contact them at (336) - 727 - 21122. Thank you!
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