The teenager said she was the subject of "physical violence," and four of seven dogs were found dead
Groton Police Department;getty
NEED TO KNOW
- A man has been charged after he allegedly kept dead puppies and a beaten 19-year-old girl in a U-Haul
- James Williams, 34, allegedly kept the teenager and the animals in the vehicle, which was discovered by police at a Motel 6
- The 19-year-old said she was the subject of “physical violence,” and four of seven dogs were found dead
A man has been charged after he allegedly kept dead puppies and a beaten 19-year-old girl in a U-Haul.
Officers with the Groton City Police Department (GCPD) in Connecticut received a report about an animal welfare concern and responded to a Motel 6 at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 3, authorities said in a news release shared on Facebook.
After police arrived, they located a U-Haul van with obscured windows, and inside the truck, police found seven dogs — four dead and three alive — as well as a 19-year-old girl, per the GCPD's news release.
The teenager told authorities that she was the subject of "physical violence," police said, and she reported a man, later identified by the GCPD as James Williams, as the alleged perpetrator.
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Williams, 34, was subsequently located by police. Authorities said he was found in possession of suspected methamphetamines and drug paraphernalia, as well as "multiple identification cards belonging to various females," authorities said.
He was taken into police custody and charged with seven counts of cruelty to animals, cruelty to persons, possession of narcotics, possession of drug paraphernalia, interfering with an officer and operating with a suspended license, and he also faces a second-degree assault charge and a first-degree reckless endangerment charge.
Groton Police Department
The GCPD's news release said Williams' bond was set at $250,000 cash, but inmate records from Connecticut's Department of Correction (DOC) show it doubled to $500,000.
Williams had a scheduled court date on Feb. 4, the day after his arrest. It is not currently clear if Williams remains in police custody, or if he has legal representation to comment on his behalf.
The GCPD and the DOC did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Sunday, Feb. 8.
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According to the GCPD, the three surviving dogs found in the U-Haul were seized by Groton Town Animal Control.
The four others that were found dead have been taken to the University of Connecticut for a necropsy to determine their exact cause of death, police said.
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty
The latest on the 19-year-old victim, whose identity has not been shared publicly, is not immediately clear.
U-Haul and Motel 6 did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Feb. 8.
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