Case Details
Share:

Case Snapshot
Case ID: 14885
Classification: Fighting
Animal: dog (pit-bull)
More cases in Cook County, IL
More cases in IL
Login to Watch this Case


For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.


CONVICTED: Was justice served?

Please vote on whether or not you feel the sentence in this case was appropriate for the crime. (Be sure to read the entire case and sentencing before voting.)

weak sentence = one star
strong sentence = 5 stars

more information on voting

When you vote, you are voting on whether or not the punishment fit the crime, NOT on the severity of the case itself. If you feel the sentence was very weak, you would vote 1 star. If you feel the sentence was very strong, you would vote 5 stars.

Please vote honestly and realistically. These ratings will be used a a tool for many future programs, including a "People’s Choice" of best and worst sentencing, DA and judge "report cards", and more. Try to resist the temptation to vote 1 star on every case, even if you feel that 100 years in prison isn’t enough.

Case #14885 Rating: 2.0 out of 5



Dog-fighting - 2 dogs, guns seized
Chicago, IL (US)

Incident Date: Saturday, Nov 15, 2008
County: Cook

Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted

Defendants/Suspects:
» Donaver Jones
» Melvin Trent
» Timothy Norris

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

A monthlong investigation couldn't prepare Cook County sheriff's police for the unsettling scene they say they found upon breaking up a dogfight Saturday.

A severely mauled dog cowered in the corner, so injured it could barely stand. The makeshift ring covered in blood. And 50 people-including two teenagers and a pregnant woman- in attendance, police said.

"What we interrupted Saturday night was both disgusting and disturbing," Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart said in a statement. "So many times, we hear about fights after the fact or find the discarded remains of a dog involved in one of these fights."

Donaver Jones, 38, of Riverdale; Melvin Trent, 37, of Joliet; and Timothy Norris, 35, of Joliet were charged Sunday with felony dogfighting for a match that took place in the basement of a home in the 500 block of West 66th Street in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood, authorities said.

Another 50 people, including boys, 13 and 15, and the pregnant woman, also were charged with attending a dogfight, a misdemeanor.

The arrests marked the first time the sheriff's police have busted a fight in progress.

Authorities swept into the basement about 10 p.m. Saturday to find a bloodied 10-by-10-foot makeshift ring surrounded by 3-foot boards smeared with blood, bites and scratches. The floor of the ring was covered with a red rug that police said was used to disguise blood.

Police found one dog injured so badly it had to be carried away on a stretcher, and authorities do not expect it to survive. The other dog was taken to a local shelter.

Officers confiscated a tackle box filled with steroids, amphetamines, syringes and an IV drip. They also found a staple gun used to close wounds so the dogs could keep fighting, as well as thick wooden stakes used to drive apart the dogs' jaws after they had locked down on the other dog.

Police recovered three 9 mm handguns and towed two cars that had dog cages and fighting manuals inside, the sheriff's office said.

The dogs were bred and trained for fighting, authorities said. They were hung from a scale attached to the basement ceiling and thrown into the ring. Police estimated the dogs had been fighting for about 15 minutes before officers arrived.

Police said the two children were released to their parents.


Case Updates

Three suburban men have been sentenced to probation, anger management and ordered to pay for lifetime care for their two dogs after being found guilty of dogfighting charges.

Donaver Jones, 39, of Riverdale was found guilty of providing a site for dogfight in the basement of a house at 526 W. 66th St. in Chicago, according to a release from the Cook County Sheriff's office. Melvin Trent, 38, and Timothy Norris, 36, both of Joliet, were found guilty of promoting a dogfight.

Fifty people present at on Nov. 16, 2008, faced misdemeanor charges of attending a dogfight, according to the release.

Steroids, amphetamines, syringes, and an IV drip were found at the home, along with a staple gun used to close dogs' wounds and thick wooden stakes to drive apart dogs’ jaws after they locked down on another dog.

One of two dogs found at the scene was badly mauled and could barely stand, according to the release. The dog is now back to a healthy condition.

Jones, Trent and Norris were each sentenced to 24 months probation, anger management classes, and ordered to have no contact with companion animals, the release said.

They must also pay restitution of $3,612 each to reimburse the cost of a sanctuary home for their dogs, Brutus and Rebus. And each must pay $3,000 to cover fees incurred by Chicago Animal Care and Control to house the dogs, the release said.

The dogs will live out their lives in a safe haven arranged by Best Friends Animal Society, and the case is one of only a few in which dogfighting defendants have been court ordered to pay for the lifetime care of their canine victims, according to the sheriffs' office.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times - Jun 28, 2010
Update posted on Jun 28, 2010 - 4:19PM 
Donaver Jones, Melvin Trent, and Timothy Norris will appear in court on February 25 at 9:30 a.m. in the Bridgeview Courthouse to face felony dog-fighting charges. The charges stem from an incident on November 15, 2008 that was so gruesome even seasoned investigators were reportedly disgusted.

A severely mauled dog cowered in the corner, so injured it could barely stand. The makeshift fighting ring was covered in blood. And 50 people-including two teenagers and a pregnant woman- were in attendance, police said. One dog was reportedly injured so badly it had to be carried away on a stretcher, and authorities did not expect it to survive. According to reports, numerous items associated with dog-fighting were also seized.
Source: Case #09CR0000802
Update posted on Jan 23, 2009 - 6:29PM 

References


  • «
    More cases in Cook County, IL

    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.



    Send this page to a friend
© Copyright 2001-2012 Pet-Abuse.Com. All rights reserved. Site Map ¤ Disclaimer ¤ Privacy Policy