'Get This Sicko Off The Street': Reward Upped To $25K After 6 Dogs Tortured & Killed, Dumped In Trash Bags

WILL COUNTY, IL — Will County authorities have upped the reward for tips that lead to charges in the animal cruelty case of six dogs found tortured and killed, dumped in trash bags alongside the road in unincorporated Crete.

Now the largest in Will County Crime Stoppers history, a $25,000 reward is offered, increased from the original $5,000 amount announced in April. The additional funds are being contributed by Peter Cangelosi, founder and chairman of Pets and Vets USA.

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The renewed push comes as the Will County State's Attorney's Office says they need more tips to find the person or people responsible.

"It's difficult to disclose publicly what our active investigation is doing, but obviously we need more tips," said Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow. "The depravity of this crime, too, is what really got all our attention. These six dogs were tortured and thrown in bags on the side of the road, with no empathy or compassion for the suffering that they went through."

The dogs' bodies were discovered on March 3 by Crete Township Highway Maintenance workers near Norfolk Avenue and Kings Road in Crete Township.

The dogs showed bite marks and signs of dogfighting, Glasgow previously said, but appeared otherwise healthy. All ranged in age between 9 months and a year and a half.

Glasgow previously described that the bags containing the dogs were found in a wooded area near a rural subdivision, and the workers were not at first aware of the bags' contents.

"Thankfully, somebody looked inside, or they would have just gone in the garbage and we wouldn't even be standing here," Glasgow said. "That's how callous this act was."

Cangelosi said the severity of the case motivated him to become involved.

"Every day for the last 13 years, I rescue pit bulls, and we train them to be service dogs for disabled veterans," Cangelosi said. "And mostly all the dogs that I rescue are dogs that have either been bait dogs or retired fighting dogs. We rescue dogs that other rescues won't, and we rehabilitate them and train them for one of America's finest.

"So we save a warrior that saves the life of a real-life warrior. So when I saw this, I didn't hear about pit bulls. All I heard on TV stations is that six dogs were found in bags, and they were used for fighting. And the only dogs that are used for fighting, are pit bulls. So being a champion for the breed, I had to do something to step in, in order to get justice for these animals."

The initial $5,000 reward was offered by Jay Bergman, chairman of First Secure Bank Group. Bergman's contribution still stands.

"We're a community bank and we help a lot of organizations, but when the state's attorney's office contacted me and told me about this crime, I talked to some other folks at the bank and it was unanimous," Bergman said. "We want to help out. We want to put up a reward. We put up the first $5,000, and the real reason, in my mind, is that anybody that's sick enough to do what they did—torture and kill animals—might do the same thing to a person, and we've got to get this sicko off the street."

At a press conference regarding the case in April, Will County Animal Protective Services Administrator Anna Payton said the dogs were "brutalized, killed, and then disposed of like garbage," and said that research points to people who engage in that level of animal cruelty often escalate to violence against people.

Glasgow on Friday reiterated that.

"The statistics that are out there, the studies that have been done by both psychologists and the FBI, show that individuals that are harming animals are five times more likely to move up and start injuring human beings," Glasgow said. "And they did a death row study where some of the death row inmates were talking about how they practiced their torture and murder on animals before they actually inflicted it on their human victim.

"So this is a really sadistic, psychological case that we've got to solve, because the people that did this are out there, and they're not going to stop doing what they're doing."

The Will County Sheriff's Office said that it does not currently have a person of interest. No uncontaminated evidence and no video surveillance can be recovered from that area, which is heavily wooded.

"We are so grateful for this reward to be increased and hope that that encourages people to come forward," the Will County Sheriff's Office said. "Unfortunately, the tips and leads that we have received thus far, have not led us to a person of interest. This investigation is ongoing."

Glasgow spoke to the complexity of the investigation that crosses the Indiana state line and spans multiple jurisdictions, including Cook and Will counties.

"So we've increased the breadth of our investigation, trying to work with Indiana, Cook County, along with our Will County Sheriff's department, and also any other municipal departments, and hopefully somebody is going to come up with something that's going to start pointing us in the right direction," Glasgow said.

The reward is not contingent upon conviction—only an arrest and charges, stressed Glasgow.

"One thing I want to make clear, is that this reward will be paid once I file formal charges," Glasgow said. "As you know, trials can take a long time today. It could be up to five years or whatever. So we don't think anybody is going to risk coming forward and have to wait five years for the money. So if the tip is valid and it's instrumental in us gathering enough evidence that I believe we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt, that will trigger Crime Stoppers."

The person who submits a tip remains anonymous at all times, emphasized David Silverman, president of Will County Crime Stoppers. Any tipster is assigned an identification number; a name is not disclosed.

"We don't ask a name," Silverman said. "The person remains anonymous. We never know the name, but we know their identification number so that we can verify we're providing a reward to the right person.

"If the investigators and the state's attorney believe there's sufficient evidence to charge and do charge, as Jim mentioned, then we'll pay out the $25,000 in cash, no questions asked."

Silverman said it's the largest reward offered in Crime Stoppers history.

"Generally, our maximum is $5,000, but through the generosity of Peter's group and Jay's First Secure Bank group, we've been able to really increase that reward amount because this is a very important case to solve," Silverman said.

Cangelosi said Glasgow's dedication to protecting animals inspired his contribution.



"I'm so thankful that Jim has such a passion for animals and is willing to go after people like this because a lot of other municipalities won't," he said. "You know, animals, you know, are not really a priority to them, so it's refreshing to have someone that champions the heart for these animals because they need all the voice they can get."

Will County Sheriff candidate and former Will County Humane Society president Jim Reilly also has agreed to contribute $1,000 to the reward, he told Patch.

"The discovery of six deceased dogs discarded in black plastic bags along a roadside in Crete Township is nothing short of horrible and despicable," Reilly said in a statement. "These younger dogs, showing signs consistent with dogfighting, were treated as garbage in an act of cruelty that has no place in Will County and deserves our full and immediate attention."

Reilly said that as sheriff he would be "committed to assigning dedicated investigators to pursue every lead, hold those responsible fully accountable, and send a clear message that animal abuse will not be tolerated in Will County.

"As the former president of the Will County Humane Society, protecting pets and animals has long been a core part of who I am. That commitment has not changed. Our animals are part of our families and our community, and I will continue to stand firmly for their safety and well-being while ensuring that anyone who treats them with such cruelty faces justice."

Anyone with information is asked to submit an anonymous tip to Will County Crime Stoppers via hotline at 800-323-6734 or via their website.

Tips can also be provided to the Will County Sheriff's Office Investigations Unit at 815-727-8574, or contact Det. Lane at jlane@willcosheriff.org.