Dog shot, wounded during robbery
West Palm Beach, FL (US)Incident Date: Friday, Jan 13, 2006
County: Palm Beach
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Willie Donnell Saunders
A landlord notorious for owning a slew of rundown apartment complexes in one of the city's blighted north end neighborhoods was the man who died during an armed robbery January 13, 2006. Roger Burrow, 65, owner of the apartment building at 607 27th St., was among three people shot during the robbery. He was at the complex to collect rent.
Police said Willie Donnell Saunders, 22, of West Palm Beach, and a teenage boy were charged in connection with the crime. They said the two demanded money from a 31-year-old woman who was standing outside one of Burrow's apartment buildings at about 9 p.m. Burrow was inside installing a toilet for a tenant and ran outside.
One of the robbers then shot at Burrow, his dog, and two other men also standing outside. A wounded Burrow tried to drive away with his dog in his blue GMC van, but crashed into a wall at 28th Street and Broadway, dying instantly. Domingo Esquivel, 64, remained in critical condition and Jose Torres, 55, was stable at St. Mary's Medical Center.
Saunders was charged with first-degree murder with a firearm, homicide, aggravated battery and animal cruelty. He was being held without bail in the Palm Beach County Jail. The boy's name is not being released because he is a juvenile.
Burrow's wife awaited news about her husband's dog, a German shepherd named Roxie. The animal will be operated on to remove the bullet from its left side, and the bullet will be turned over to police as part of the investigation, she said. Burrow often took the dog on his rounds to collect the weekly rent, his wife said. It was the only real form of protection he touted. "He felt he had God's protection and that's all he needed," she said. References« FL State Animal Cruelty Map
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