Man accused of dousing house in gas, slashing barking dog with machete
Published: January 18, 2013
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ST. CROIX - A man accused of pouring gasoline inside a farm house, charging the property owner while wielding a machete and assaulting the owner's dog was arrested Wednesday evening.
Joseph Brow, 27, of Upper Love, was arrested at 7:30 p.m.
He was advised of his rights Thursday on charges of third-degree burglary, first-degree animal abuse, attempted second-degree arson, third-degree assault, and carrying or using a dangerous weapon. Bail was set at $150,000.
Police were dispatched to a farm stand in Estate Lower Love along Queen Mary Highway at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday on a report that a man with a machete was chasing another man, according to court documents.
When officers arrived, police talked to the victim, who told them he left his farm house about 12:30 p.m. to go to his farm stand, which is nearby.
The victim told police he heard his dogs barking aggressively at the house about 12:48 p.m. and headed back to home, according to the affidavit police filed in the case.
When he arrived, he saw a man he identified as Brow running from the farm house toward him with a machete, according to the affidavit.
The victim said he turned around and ran to his farm stand and yelled at his wife to get a machete and call police.
The victim told police he went back to the house, looking for Brow, and a friend drove him around in the area, but they did not find Brow, according to the affidavit.
However, when he then went back to check his property, he smelled gasoline coming from the farm house, saw that it had been drenched with gas, and found a green bottle that had been left there, court documents state.
He also found his black dog injured, cut on the head with a machete, according to the affidavit.
The dog was conscious at he time but had a laceration that was approximately 6-inches long and 3-inches wide in the center of his head, according to the affidavit. Police also smelled gasoline and saw what appeared to be gas stains on the walls and floor of the home, with a green glass bottle that smelled of gas on the floor near the door.
Police later arrested Brow.
According to information in the affidavit, one of the police officers was aware of problems in the past between the victim and Brow.
- Contact reporter Joy Blackburn at 714-9145 or email jblackburn@dailynews.vi.
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