Bank Robbery Investigation Leads Police To Home Full Of Neglected Dogs; Now You Can Adopt One

CORONA (CBSLA.com) — Evidence from a June bank robbery in the Inland Empire led police to a Corona home where they found 35 dogs.

One dog was in such poor health it had to put down. The rest of the dogs were brought to a shelter and seem to be okay.  Seven of the dogs were puppies just a few months old. There was no food, very little water and dog waste all over, animal control says.

Click here to adopt one of the dogs or donate to the animal shelter

Yarret Ramirez says sometimes, she could smell the animals in her neighbor's home. And she'd hear them.

"At night sometimes the dogs would bark at each other, sound like they were attacking each other," Ramirez said.

Ramirez said her family never complained because they liked their neighbor, 72-year old Bob Flores. They said they're in shock to hear that Flores is under arrest for allegedly robbing the Pacific Western Bank on 6th Street last month.

Police say they only found out about the dogs when they searched the home because of the robbery. They say Flores will likely face charges of animal cruelty as well.

"The conditions were deplorable, it was hot inside. we couldn't breathe, we had gas masks," animal control supervisor Daniel Pacheco said.

Animal control got a report of neglect earlier in the year but when officers inquired the man said he only 12 dogs and had agreed to give some of them up. When officers followed up he did not answer the door.