A Washington Parish man was arrested this week, in connection with the fatal shooting of five abandoned puppies, according to Chief Deputy Mike Haley of the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office.

In late February, a concerned citizen contacted the Magnolia Chapter of the Humane Society of Louisiana and reported five abandoned puppies at the intersection of Monroe Creek Road and Frank Kennedy Road near Angie. When a rescuer from Magnolia arrived at the location, it was discovered that someone had shot and killed each of the puppies with a small caliber weapon. The crime was reported to the WPSO, which began an investigation into the matter.

Information on the crime was released to the public through social media outlets and several tips were provided, Haley said. Following up on one of the tips, a detective interviewed Shawn Glen Jones, 25, a resident of Dogwood Valley Road.

Haley said that Jones had a female dog that was the same breed as the slain puppies. When questioned, Jones stated that he had given away the puppies but could not identify the person to whom he gave them. After further questioning, Jones admitted the puppies were his and that he had dropped them off at the location where they were found, although he denied shooting them, Haley said.

As the investigation continued, detectives learned that Jones had obtained a .22 caliber rifle just prior to the shooting, Haley said.

Haley said that it was determined that Jones did not have the rifle when he abandoned the puppies, but returned to his home, picked up the rifle and ammunition, returned to the location and shot the puppies.

Jones was arrested on Wednesday and placed in the Washington Parish Jail, charged with five counts of cruelty to animals. As of Friday morning, he remained in jail with bond set at $15,000.

“Our detective did an outstanding job in this matter. She worked diligently until she had sufficient evidence to arrest Shawn Jones,” Washington Parish Sheriff Randy Seal said. “Once again, tips from concerned Washington Parish citizens helped us solve a crime. If any person has additional information about this crime, I encourage you to contact Detective Demi Rice at the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office.”