Police: 2 Arrested After Large Lizard, Dogs Found in Deplorable Conditions

The odors were reportedly foul with the smell of urine and feces. The Police were called and then it got ugly.

A New Britain Police Department press release tells the story of a Newington couple who were arrested by New Britain police after they came upon two emaciated dogs and one mammoth monitor lizard that were being kept in a filthy apartment on Chestnut Street. No one appeared to be living in the apartment at the time.

After the owner of the property was located, police say they identified Eileen Rodriquez as the individual who had rented the apartment, where the animals were found. She and her boyfriend, Carlos Colon were found to be allegedly responsible for harboring the animals in the squalid conditions. They were both arrested on counts of Cruelty to Animals and Illegal Possession of Prohibited Species.

Police also found various cages for keeping animals and aquariums strewn all over the apartment. The Monitor Lizard was captured by the Connecticut Environmental Police and told New Britain police that it was worth about $15,000 on the black market.