Groton, Connecticut – A 34-year-old man was arrested and is facing charges following the discovery of an abused woman and dead puppies in the back of a U-Haul van parked at a Motel 6 in Groton City. Police arrested James Williams after making the grim discovery during a welfare check earlier this month.
Groton Police found a 19-year-old woman, four dead puppies, and three live dogs in the parked moving van. The woman told the police that she had been physically abused by Williams.
Conditions inside the van were dismal – the dogs had no access to food or water, and the interior was described as “unsanitary.”
The surviving dogs were transported to the local animal control agency for care, and the deceased puppies were taken to the University of Connecticut to undergo necropsies to determine their cause of death. Williams was booked into jail on numerous charges including: seven counts of cruelty to animals, cruelty to persons, second-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment, possession of narcotics, possession of drug paraphernalia, interfering with an officer, and operating with a suspended license.
independent investigations and reporting.
