PORT JEFFERSON, NY — Three people were arrested in connection with neglecting 13 animals in a Port Jefferson
home, Suffolk police said.
Port Jefferson Fire Department and Fire Marshals responded to a fire on the roof of the Willis Avenue home that caused
by a nearby transformer malfunction at around 9:45 a.m., according to police.
Firefighters saw several different species of animals without
food or water in the home, and "living in deplorable conditions," police said.
After an investigation by the county District Attorney's Biological, Environmental and Animal Safety Team, or BEAST team, a search warrant was executed, the home's residents, a 50-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman, as well as a 55-year-old Stony Brook man, were each charged with 13 counts of failure to provide proper food and drink to impounded animals, according to police.
The trio was issued Desk Appearance Tickets and were arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Tuesday.
Residents in the area took to social media to report seeing a large police presence, which included a command center.
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