By Pat Culverhouse

A citizen’s complaint has led to the arrest of a Minden man on charges of cruelty to animals, according to Chief of Police Jared McIver.

Larry DeWayne Tate, 21, a resident of the 400 block McIntyre St., was arrested Thursday, July 3 and charged with cruelty to animals, violating a pit bulldogs and Rottweiler dogs ordinance and criminal trespass following a brief investigation.

Tate is currently being held at Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center under a $2,250 fine.

MPD Det. Matthew Hicks reportedly responded to a complaint filed by a neighbor who reported Tate had allegedly been “abusing, torturing and fighting” a number of pit bulls for approximately a month.

Investigators reportedly were provided photo and video evidence showing Tate striking one pit bull with an unknown object and attempting to make two dogs fight. Three pit bulls were found living without shelter on abandoned property on Joy St. and another was found inside the suspect’s residence.

Detective Hicks reportedly received the complaint shortly before 10 a.m. Thursday and took Tate into custody around 1:30 that afternoon. All the animals reportedly were seized by Minden’s Animal Control unit.

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.