Malnourished dogs found among drugs and guns
Tewksbury, MA (US)Incident Date: Friday, May 25, 2007
County: Middlesex
Charges: Misdemeanor, Felony Non-CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Michael Brooke
A 51-year-old Pinedale Avenue man is facing felony drug and firearms charges, along with one count of animal cruelty, after police, acting on a tip from a citizen, brought in a SWAT team to search his home.
Detectives found 18 guns stored improperly around the property of Michael Brooke, 51, of 63 Pinedale Ave., not long after a SWAT team from the North East Middlesex Law Enforcement Council served a search warrant there Friday night, police said.
Detective Lt. John Voto said a tip from a citizen helped police obtain a warrant to search the property.
Because Brooke was known to own firearms, which he was licensed to have, and because of the nature of the warrant, the SWAT team was called in to clear the home before other investigators went in, police said.
That team made its move on Friday about 6 p.m., and then detectives searched the home and a barn behind it.
"He had guns all over the place," Voto said.
Detectives found a total of 18 firearms, none of which were properly secured, and one which was left loaded in Brooke's car even though he was not in it.
That led police to charge him with a felony count of improper storage of a firearm, and a misdemeanor count of leaving a loaded firearm unattended in a motor vehicle.
Police said they found about 9 grams of cocaine and 65 grams of marijuana were also found, so police charged Brooke with possession with intent to distribute each of those drugs.
In a barn behind the home police found four adult dogs and three puppies that appeared to be malnourished, police said.
"There was no food or water for them," Voto said.
The Board of Health and animal-control officer were then called in, and while the Board of Health condemned the barn the animal-control officer took the dogs to a local shelter.
Brooks was released on bail later Friday night, and was arraigned yesterday in Lowell District Court. The results of that proceeding were not immediately available.
Anyone with information concerning drug activity is asked to call the Tewksbury Drug Tip Hot line at (978) 851-0175. References« MA State Animal Cruelty Map
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