Report: Man killed puppy

MILAN TWP. — A Huron man is facing a number of charges after a Monday night incident. Jimmy R. Wiggins, Jr., 46, 2600 block Alpine Trail, is charged with two counts of endangering children, third-degree felonies; felony tampering with evidence; felony cruelty to companion animals; and misdemeanor obstructing official business. After 11 p.m., deputies were called to a home in the 2600 block of Alpine Trail in Milan Township for the report that a man had allegedly killed puppies. The dispatcher also heard screaming during the call. Erie County sheriff's deputies arrived to find a girl outside the home in distress. She told them her mother's live-in boyfriend, Wiggins, killed a puppy and fled the home, according to an Erie County Sheriff's Office report. Deputies entered the home through an unlocked, open door. They announced themselves and asked for anyone in the home to make themselves known and exit, according to the report. They noted that the home smelled strongly of animal excrement, that the home was in complete disarray and was uninhabitable due to the deplorable conditions. Deputies encountered Wiggins' girlfriend, Gretchen L. Howard-Simmons, 42, and she allegedly obstructed them in their attempts to locate Wiggins. She was removed from the home and deputies conducted a protective sweep, according to the report. They discovered alleged narcotics, specifically methamphetamine, and paraphernalia in plain view in the residence. Howard-Simmons told deputies that they owned two red-nose pit bulls and only one was accounted for. The girl told deputies that she heard Wiggins threaten to choke the dog then heard it cry out, followed by an "impact," the report states. She entered the bathroom where the dog was and found it motionless, not breathing and with blood on and near it. When deputies investigated, they did not find the puppy, but did locate a bloodied hammer. "The killing of the dog is sickening behavior," Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth said. Deputies were unable to locate Wiggins in the residence. They believed he entered a wooded area behind the home, the report states. The office's drone was called into service, and Wiggins was located by a deputy shortly thereafter. He was in the Huron River holding onto a tree. Wiggins was severely hypothermic, according to Sigsworth. He was arrested and taken to a Norwalk hospital by ambulance. He was later released and transported to Erie County Jail. Wiggins is charged with two counts of endangering children, third-degree felonies; felony tampering with evidence; felony cruelty to companion animals; and misdemeanor obstructing official business. Howard-Simmons is charged with two counts of endangering children, third-degree felonies; and misdemeanor obstructing official business. Both Wiggins' and Howard-Simmons' child endangering charges were enhanced to felonies due to the presence of narcotics in the home. As of midday Thursday, Wiggins is still incarcerated in the jail under a $50,000 bond. He appeared in Erie County Municipal Court via video on Wednesday. Court records do not indicate a plea. Simmons is also still incarcerated under a $30,000 bond. She appeared in Erie County Municipal Court via video on Wednesday. Court records do not indicate a plea. Howard-Simmons and Wiggins have bond hearings scheduled for 10 a.m. on Friday. Their preliminary hearings are set for May 16. His at 9 a.m., hers at 9:15 a.m. Two children from the home were placed in the care of job and family services. The dead puppy was named Hank, according to Sigsworth. Hank's littermate, Mud was turned over to the custody of a responsible adult, Sigsworth said. The suspected narcotics were seized and sent to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation for testing.