Vehicle set on fire, two dogs inside, one dies
Indian Rocks Beach, FL (US)

Incident Date: Tuesday, Jan 8, 2008
County: Pinellas

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: John Anthony Paulette

Pinellas County Sheriff's deputies have arrested a man for a January incident where two dogs were killed.

John Anthony Paulette, 41, of Dunedin made the news on Jan. 24 when he set his vehicle on fire in the driveway of his estranged girlfriend's home in Indian Rocks Beach. The man and two dogs were inside the vehicle when the fire was started.

Paulette was seriously injured. One of the dogs, a Lab-mix named Sweetie, died in the fire. The second dog, a yellow Labrador named Honey died two days later from injuries suffered in the fire.

The case was referred to the State Attorney's Office and a warrant for Paulette's arrest was issued on April 15. Paulette was arrested just before 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16, at the Pinellas County Jail for two counts animal cruelty; and unrelated violation or parole possession of controlled substance and violation of parole trafficking GHB (Gama Hydroxybutyric Acid), a synthetic depressant.

References

• Tampa Bay's 10 - April 17, 2008
• Tampa Bay Newspapers - April 18, 2008

« FL State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Pinellas County, FL

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.