FREDERIKSTED — A St. Croix man who became infamous in Facebook videos for throwing his pit bulls into the Caribbean Sea off of the Anne E. Abramson Marine Facility and forcing them to swim back to shore was arrested on animal abuse charges Monday.
Reginald Bell, 50, was arrested about 2:30 p.m. Monday and charged with first-degree animal abuse, second-degree animal abuse and second-degree animal neglect, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Bell was booked and remanded to the Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility after failing to post a $10,000.00 bail pending an advice-of-rights hearing, according to the VIPD.
Two of the dogs that were in Bell’s possession at the time of arrest were taken into protective custody by police.
At the advice of rights hearing, Reginald Bell was released to a third-party custodian pending further court action.
Reginald Bell is the individual who claimed to have a disability and used his dogs as “service dogs.”
“There’s a petition on Social Media with a video attached, that shows Reginald Bell throwing his dogs into the ocean from the Frederiksted Pier and forced them to swim long distances,.” VIPD spokesman Glen Dratte said. “The petition has obtained more than 7,000 signatures and he continued to commit the same act at the same place numerous times.”
This news article was updated on February 27, 2022 to include this Facebook comment.
“Three years ago I arrested this P.O.S. ‘three years ago,’ ACE said. “On the day for his advise of rights hearing, he was released to a third party custodian. He was never put on trial, paid a fine, no community service, nothing, just walked and he’s probably in the states doing the same shit, while I went through hell and back to save the dogs that he abused. Not to many people know the extent of shit I endured from those in power for doing my job in this case. As a matter of fact, not one of my ten arrest for cruelty has made it to trial. Welcome to the world of abuse and neglect, cause that’s what I’ve got in return, abused and neglected. I will not stay silent anymore. ‘ACE'”
