Three pit bulls are still recovering from a dog fight, and the man officers say was behind it has been in trouble before. Richmond County Animal Control has a warrant out for the arrest of Charles Larke, Jr., said to have organized a dog fight in south Augusta on November 1.
Larke is on probation for crimes he committed in 2004: shoplifting, filing a false report and breaking into a car. He is the son of former Richmond County school superintendent Dr. Charles Larke.
It took all day for the warrant to be granted.
Animal Control Director Randy Teasley was called to the regency mall on Nov 1 after a sheriff's deputy witnessed a dog fight.
"They were in a circle fighting the dogs. All three of 'em," Teasley told News 12. "[The dogs] weren't critically injured, but they were bleeding. They had cuts on their ears and their legs from bites in their necks."
Teasley believes the fight was orchestrated by Charles Larke, Jr.
Local news visited Larke's south Augusta home. He was there, but he denied who he really was.
"And are you his brother?" we asked.
"Yes, ma'am," Larke said.
"Do you know where he is?"
"If he ain't here, I'll check to see if he's here."
Larke then went inside to quote "look for him".
Andrew Cloer lives in the same neighborhood. He admits he too has fought dogs...but not anymore.
"When I was a lot younger I did it one time," he said. "I got caught for it and I learned from my mistakes. I never did it again, never have, and I say that it's wrong."
Very wrong, in fact, if you consult Georgia's law books.
If convicted, Larke could face a $5000 fine and up to five years in prison.
"If we catch you fighting dogs in Richmond County, we're going to prosecute you," Teasley said.
Larke has not yet been arrested. We understand there may be some confusion among the two departments as to who will be making that arrest.
Officers say two other people were involved. They're both males.
One is 14 years old; the other's an adult.
One of them may have given police a false name, so they're still working to identify both of them. Case UpdatesAccording to court records, accused dog-fighter Charles Derrick Larke will not be prosecuted.
On November 1, 2006, sheriff�s deputies reportedly witnessed the dog-fight in progress. "They were in a circle fighting the dogs. All three of 'em," Officer Teasley reported at the time. "[The dogs] weren't critically injured, but they were bleeding. They had cuts on their ears and their legs from bites in their necks."
However, on March 9, 2007, Assistance Chief District Attorney Bill Bowcutt filed a �nolle prosequi� case action declining to prosecute Larke due to lack of sufficient evidence.
Larke is on probation for crimes he committed in 2004: shoplifting, filing a false report and breaking into a car.
He is the son of former Richmond County school superintendent Dr. Charles Larke. | Source: Richmond County Court
Update posted on Jun 4, 2007 - 4:18PM |
| Charles Derrick Larke, Jr, 23, is in custody after being arrested on December 29, 2006 on an outstanding warrant charging him with felony dog-fighting. No court date has been set. | Source: Richmond County
Update posted on Jan 3, 2007 - 11:44AM |
After his father's last day as Richmond County school superintendent, Charles Derrick Larke was caught with two other people breaking the law, police and animal control officials said Friday.
He was still being sought Friday afternoon on a warrant charging him with felony dogfighting, the Richmond County Sheriff's Office said.
Augusta Animal Services Director Randy Teasley said a sheriff's deputy found that Mr. Larke and the other youths had organized a dogfight with several pit bulls at Regency Mall on Gordon Highway.
All of the dogs were injured, one somewhat seriously, Mr. Teasley said.
Initially, Mr. Larke and the others were cited for misdemeanor cruelty charges, but the animal control director said he decided to pursue the felony charges through the sheriff's office because of the severity of the dogs' injuries.
"I am not going to tolerate dog fighting in Richmond County," Mr. Teasley said. "It's cruel. It's inhumane. And it leads to gambling and drugs."
Dog fighting is punishable by a fine of $5,000 and one to five years in prison.
The maximum punishment for the misdemeanor charges is 60 days in the county jail system.
One of the youths was a teenager and was not cited; the other gave false information and officials are still trying to track him down, Mr. Teasley said.
The incident is not Mr. Larke's first run-in with the law. In 2004, he was accused of making a false report of a crime and entering an automobile to commit theft.
The same day that he was sentenced to probation on that charge, he was arrested for taking DVDs from the Deans Bridge Road Wal-Mart Supercenter. He was sentenced to a year in confinement, but it was reduced to probation. | Source: Augusta Chronicle - Nov 4, 2006
Update posted on Nov 4, 2006 - 12:23AM |
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