Several videos on a suspected drug dealer’s cellphone have led detectives to a dog fighting operation on the outskirts of Fort Lauderdale.
Wayne Leo Walker, 33, was arrested Jan. 16 as part of a gun theft and ongoing drug dealing investigation, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
While Walker was in custody, detectives searched his cellphone and found four videos showing two pit bull dogs fighting inside a house. One of the bloodied dogs suffered an apparent broken leg in one video, detectives said.
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Walker and another man were seen and heard in the videos taunting the dogs and baiting them to fight.
One video was dated Sept. 10, 2021, at 8:51 p.m. and Walker’s GPS ankle monitor put him at that address at that time.
Walker was free on bond when detectives went to Walker’s home in the 1000 block of Northwest 25 Way around noon on April 12.
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They found six mixed-breed dogs in the backyard. One was chained and five were in cages. The dogs had no food or water. Some had obvious wounds and were unsheltered from the heat, according to the arrest report.
Detectives also found tethers, leashes, sticks, a scale and large wood panels typically used in dog fighting rings, the report said.
All the dogs were taken to the Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Center.
Walker was arrested on 19 charges including animal cruelty and drug charges. He is being held in the Broward County Jail without bond, records show.
