Cromwell Couple Face Animal Cruelty ChargesA Cromwell couple were arrested Tuesday for cruelty to animals after officers found two kittens, two hamsters and three dogs malnourished in July.
A?fourth dog in the home had died.
Nicholas Wayne Baldwin, 37, of 9893 E. King Arthur Trail, Cromwell, was arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at 10:04 a.m. Tuesday for cruelty to animals, a Class A misdemeanor. His preliminary bond was set at $500.
Melissa Ann Payne, 39, of same address, was arrested and booked into KCJ on the same charge with the same preliminary bond amount.
According to court documents filed Aug. 8, at approximately 8:04 p.m. July 27, the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department was called to Cromwell regarding a woman who said her neighbors at 12113 N. Beau Peep Lane had not fed or watered their four dogs in three weeks.
The woman showed KCSD Cpl. James Smith two brown dogs that were in a kennel behind the home. She said she and her family had arrived home from vacation on July 21 and noticed the two brown dogs to be very thin with their ribs showing and to be without food or water. She said she had been feeding and watering the dogs since she returned from vacation. The woman said her kids told her there were additional animals, believed to be inside the home, and she had not seen any activity at the house since they returned from vacation. She said Baldwin and Payne lived in the home, and a male juvenile told her he had been at the residence several days prior and he thought Baldwin and Payne were in Fort Wayne.
Smith made contact with the male juvenile and explained to him the situation. The juvenile then called Payne on her cell phone. Smith asked her about the dogs, and Payne told him she and her husband were last at the home about two days prior and they had been working at a fair in Berne to make money so they could feed the animals. She said there were two more dogs in the home, along with two kittens. Payne told Smith she had been telling her husband to care for the outside dogs because they were his.
On the phone, Baldwin told Smith the last time anyone had been at the residence was about 11⁄2 weeks prior. He said he thought the male juvenile was taking care of the animals. The juvenile, who was listening to the conversation, told Baldwin he never gave him a key to the home. Baldwin then said he forgot to provide the key.
Baldwin and Payne gave the juvenile’s mother permission to enter the residence and to let the officers in to check on the animals.
Smith was able to get into the home through a window that Baldwin and Payne told the juvenile’s mother was unlocked.
In the home, the juvenile’s mother advised officers a Chihuahua had died. In the bedroom, there were two small dog kennels, one containing the dead dog which appeared to have been deceased for about two days.
The other kennel had a small brown and black colored German shepherd puppy inside of it that had urinated and defecated inside the kennel. It also appeared to be malnourished.
Neither kennel had food or water inside.
In the same room was a hamster cage with two hamsters inside of it, both of which were alive but had no water or food.
Inside the house there also were two small kittens that appeared malnourished and not have any food or water, according to court documents.
Upon the request of Baldwin and Payne, the neighbor woman took the German shepherd puppy, the two kittens and the two hamsters to her residence where she said she would care for them until Payne and Baldwin returned. She said she also would continue to feed and water the two brown dogs that were left outside.
Arrangements were made for Kosciusko County animal welfare officer Jerry Clase to pick up the dead Chihuahua.
