- Florida, USA -
On the evening of Monday, November 23, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to an animal cruelty case in the 4500 Block of 27th Street SW in Lehigh Acres.
The Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post that a witness saw 46-year-old JOSE LUIS ORTIZ (pictured below), covered in blood and cleaning the remains of a duck off his back patio.
When the witness approached ORTIZ, he became violent and started strangling one of his dogs.
He then grabbed a garden hose and began to drown the furbaby.
At that point, the witness promptly grabbed ORTIZ’s other dog and managed to run to a neighbor’s house to call 911.
East District Deputies responded to the scene.
They questioned ORTIZ and searched the property.
Deputies noticed that the back patio was soaking wet.
They then discovered inside a trashcan a cat, a dog, and a duck.
All three were deceased.
Given the nature of the incident, a detective from the Criminal Investigations Division was then called in and assumed the investigation.
The investigator learned that ORTIZ had drowned two animals and bludgeoned the third.
The murderer was placed under arrest and booked into the Lee County Jail on three counts of aggravated animal cruelty.
The following day, the Sheriff’s Office posted an update on this case and advised that JOSE LUIS ORTIZ has provided law enforcement with different aliases and different dates of birth.
JOSE LUIS ORTIZ (DOB June 21, 1974) and FERNANDO ORTIZ (DOB August 23, 1973), are the same person.
Detectives are actively working to positively identify him.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno takes animal cruelty very seriously, many judges out there should do the same.
Sheriff Marceno said: “I am outraged at these violent acts against helpless animals. People like Ortiz, who intentionally harm animals, belong in one place: the Lee County Jail.”
Sheriff Marceno, I am sure animal lovers have another place in mind, it’s hot and flaming!
I firmly believe that ORTIZ should be tried as if he had murdered a human.
Life is life no matter if it comes with legs, paws or wings!!!