The suspect accused in the killing of Ollie the pit bull has a history of targeting animals and his apartment had gruesome evidence of cruelty, according to a Hollywood Police Department report.
The HPD said it made the arrest on Wednesday in the animal cruelty case related to Ollie, who died days after being found beaten, stabbed and stuffed in a suitcase.
In a statement, HPD said 31-year-old Hollywood resident Brendan Evans was arrested following an investigation in which it executed a search warrant at his residence on Nov. 14.
Evans, whose DNA was found on the suitcase in which Ollie was found, is charged with aggravated animal cruelty, police said.
The investigation into Evans, who police noted had a dog tooth in his wallet, revealed a criminal history, police said. He was arrested by the Broward County Sheriff's Office in 2012 for domestic battery and he is currently on probation for a bank robbery in Hernando County.
"Evans' fingerprints were also found to be linked to a residential burglary in the City of Hollywood," HPD said in a statement. "He was taken into custody for the burglary and violation of probation."
Ollie's case drew national attention after a couple found the dog in the early hours of Oct. 10. He was rushed to a veterinarian but died days later.
“We will not tolerate any form of animal cruelty or violence in our city," HPD Acting Police Chief Chris O'Brien said in a statement. "Each reported case of animal cruelty, be it physical abuse or neglect, is disturbing, and this case is particularly heartbreaking. We were all pulling for Ollie to survive, but unfortunately, he didn't make it. However, due to our investigation, we are now able to provide justice for Ollie."
Dr. Nicole Patterson, the associate veterinarian who treated Ollie at the VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital, said the animal cruelty Ollie sustained was "probably one of the worst abuse cases I've ever seen."
The investigation revealed Evans' disturbing, gruesome history with animal cruelty, according to a police report.
The detectives on the case first made note of Evans' "cold" demeanor during an initial visit to his residence.
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"Opposed to the numerous people we had come into contact with, Brendan Evans never made note of how egregious of an act that occurred, nor did he seem concerned this incident occurred so close to where he lived," the HPD detective wrote, adding that he and his partner "noted [Evans'] extremely cold yet nervous demeanor."
A report by a Delray Beach police officer from June shows that a man filed a complaint after Evans bought two kittens and called days later requesting for more kittens. The seller of the kittens, who questioned Evans' intentions, called police after becoming suspicious.
In a Fort Lauderdale Police Department report filed in February, Evans was reported as attempting to kick a mother duck and her ducklings.
When an FLPD officer questioned him, Evans said he wanted to kill the duck because it was his religious right as he practices voodoo.
Police further saw evidence of animal cruelty when executing the search warrant.
"In the freezer's top shelf, several frozen rats were observed. The first white rat appeared to have had its legs removed and a circular piece of scalp was removed from the top of its head," the report reads. "A second dead white rat with a severed tail was located on the top level with white wax attached to its body."
Another rat was decapitated, according to the report, which adds that police also found what appeared to be two cat paws in the freezer.
"It appeared that something within the stove was bleeding and struggling inside the oven, smearing suspect blood while the oven door was closed. Small tufts of suspect fur were visible to the eye on the oven grate," the report adds.
Officers also found a bloodied one-and-a-half-foot machete and on top of Evans' dresser, a shrine – made up of candles, melted wax, blood and fur.
On the shrine, between two candles, police found a Crime Stoppers flyer of Ollie the pit bull – ripped in half.
