Local couple face multiple aggravated cruelty charges
A local man and woman were arrested on multiple aggravated cruelty charges after Garland County sheriff’s deputies discovered a dead puppy under a sofa and malnourished dogs at their residence off Highway
290 late Tuesday, according to an affidavit.
Roger Ethan Lyle, and Taylor Renee Lyle, both 24, of 215 Highway 290, Lot 15, were taken into custody at their residence around 11 p.m. Tuesday. Initially charged with cruelty to animals, an unclassified misdemeanor, the charges were later amended to eight felony counts of aggravated cruelty to a dog, cat or horse.
They were each being held Wednesday evening at the Garland County Detention Center on $7,500 bonds after an arraignment earlier in the day in Garland County District Court. A court date was set for Sept. 17.
According to the probable cause affidavit, around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, sheriff’s Deputy Charles DeLaHunt responded to the couple’s residence in reference to an animal cruelty call.
DeLaHunt said he observed a female dog tied to the front porch with its ribs and hips “showing badly” that “looked extremely malnourished,” and noted he could not see food or water for the dog.
A white male, later identified as Roger Lyle, exited the residence and reportedly became “verbally combative” toward the deputy, demanding to know why DeLaHunt was there.
DeLaHunt said he explained why he was there and at that time a woman, later identified as Taylor Lyle, came outside.
Deputy Grant Yarbrough, who had arrived with Cpl. Jon Lane to assist DeLaHunt, walked around the residence and asked DeLaHunt to look in the kitchen window, where they observed a small white dog in a kennel that “was skinny and looked malnourished,” a bigger brown-and-tan dog in a second kennel that looked “very malnourished,” and a third dog that looked “slightly malnourished” running around the home, along with two cats.
Roger Lyle reportedly told deputies another dog was dead under the sofa inside the residence and that he had buried another dog the night before.
“We observed feces all over the floor along with urination spots,” and did not observe food or water for the animals, the affidavit said.
Two animal control officers were called to the scene to investigate, and took pictures and videos of the scene. One of the animal control officers collected the animals and placed them in his unit as evidence, the affidavit said. The animal control officer also located a brown-and-tan dead puppy under the sofa, while Lane, DeLaHunt and the other animal control officer located two shallow graves that contained dog remains.
Two witnesses told deputies they had observed the Lyles burying several animals over the last two weeks, “possibly up to 11 dogs and or cats,” the affidavit said.