By Indira Zaldivar & Edward Saenz
Crime Stoppers of Houston in partnership with local authorities seek the public’s help in arresting 15 fugitives charged with animal cruelty in Houston and Harris County.
“Often animal abuse and cruelty leads to more aggressive behavior by people against other humans, especially children, the elderly, and domestic and household partners,” said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.
In catching these animal abusers, local authorities are also protecting human members of the community.
“Our goal is to protect the public including and especially our animals,” Ogg said.
One of the fugitives, Joel Salazar, allegedly cut his dog’s front leg because he could not afford veterinary care.
Animal cruelty charges in Texas range from class C misdemeanor to a second-degree felony.
Chief Lindsey Bondurant of the Harris County Assistant District Attorney Animal Cruelty Section detailed three of the felony charges including torture and cruelty causing death due to heat or starvation committed by the following three abusers:
- Shanetra Nicole Morant was charged with the felony of torturing an animal by allegedly shoving a broom handle down the throat of a puppy and bending the dog’s paws causing fractures.
- Zachary David Lovell allegedly left several dogs in a vehicle in May in Texas for 10 hours with inadequate water and ventilation causing one of the dogs to die of a heat stroke.
- Demarcus Smith allegedly failed to provide food and water causing a dog to die of starvation.
“All three cases could’ve been handled differently,” Bondurant said. “There are legal ways to address each situation.”
Report an anonymous tip to local authorities
Those with information on any of the 15 fugitives facing animal cruelty charges may report an anonymous tip in three ways:
- Call 713-222-TIPS
- File a report online
- File a report on the app
Up to $5,000 may be rewarded for information.
Fugitives charged with animal cruelty
@queondamagazine Crime Stoppers of Houston in partnership with local authorities seek the public’s help in arresting 15 fugitives charged with animal cruelty in Houston and Harris County. “Often animal abuse and cruelty leads to more aggressive behavior by people against other humans, especially children, the elderly, and domestic and household partners,” said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg. In catching these animal abusers, local authorities are also protecting human members of the community. Report an anonymous tip and you may receive a cash reward up to $5000. Call 713-222-Tips or visit Crime-Stoppers.org or the Crime Stoppers app. #animalAbuse #AnimalAbusers #Fugitives #AnimalCruelty #TexasCrime #HarrisCounty #Houstontx #animalpolice #animalrights #houstoncrime #harriscountycrime #truecrime #houstonnews #news #crime #crimenews #crimenewsinhouston ♬ original sound – Que Onda Magazine
The following 15 fugitives have an active warrant for animal cruelty charges. The TikTok video above shows their photographs and physical description.
- Shanetra Nicole Morant
- Zachery David Lovell
- Demarcus Smith
- Justin Crome Alexander
- Shawn Dewayne Clark
- Kalieb Davis
- Marvin Keith Davis
- Augusta Christopher Faucette
- Julio Cesar Hernandez
- Derek Stephen Lowry Jr.
- Sergio Javier Reyes
- Ramiro Rodriguez
- Joel Salazar
- Joseph Nathan Sykes
- Billy Ray Young
Resources for animals
Animal welfare organizations offer resources to assist pet owners in providing food and veterinary care for animals in Houston and Harris County.
For more information, visit the following websites:
Since 2017, the Harris County District Attorney has filed 1,823 animal abuse cases and the offenses vary from cruelty to cock fighting to bestiality.
