Watch: Abused canine continues to get better in Memphis
Riona, a 1-year-old canine, is recovering from her accidents at Bluff City Veterinary Specialists after she was strangled, doused in gas and set on hearth.
Christine Tannous, Memphis Commercial Appeal
The man accused of setting a canine on hearth in a case that generated worldwide outrage is again behind bars — and this time he is charged with the rape of a minor.
Quishon Brown, 44, was arrested Monday morning in Shelby County Criminal Court, the place he had deliberate to plead responsible to a felony rely of “aggravated animal cruelty.”
Instead of settling that case, Brown — out on bond within the animal criticism — discovered himself in custody once more on much more critical expenses, together with “rape of a kid” (underneath 12) and “statutory rape by an authority determine.”
Shelby County Assistant District Attorney Donna Fields stated she doesn’t intend to drop the animal cruelty continuing towards Brown, no matter occurs within the rape case.
“This was a heinous crime,” stated Fields, a former longtime Circuit Court Judge who, underneath new District Attorney Steve Mulroy, is the primary assistant district lawyer devoted solely to felony animal abuse instances in Shelby County.
With a prison historical past masking 5 states (a housebreaking cost in Alabama, a DUI in Texas, and so forth), Brown got here to the eye of Memphis legislation enforcement in 2022, when he was arrested on animal cruelty expenses involving a canine whose plight garnered worldwide consideration.
According to a narrative in The Commercial Appeal, “On June 22, residents of the Nutbush space noticed Riona, a 1-year-old pit bull combine, working down the road engulfed in flames.”
With water from a baby’s wading pool, neighbors doused the flames. But the canine, owned by Brown, had suffered fourth-degree burns on her face and physique. Veterinarians decided she had been engulfed in gasoline; ultimately, she misplaced an ear.
“A big a part of the left facet of her face was burned all the way in which right down to the muzzle,” Fields stated.
The tortured and traumatized canine was cared for by Tails of Hopea Memphis-based nonprofit canine rescue, and Bluff City Veterinary Specialistswhich offered $92,000 value of medical therapy, together with a number of surgical procedures.
While Bluff City supervisor Mallory McLemore offered foster care, Tails of Hope co-founder Ginger Natoli gave the canine a brand new identification: Riona (pronounced Ree-Oh-Nuh), a reputation of Irish origin meaning “queenly.” The identify unfold around the globe. News reviews and social media posts about Riona garnered a whole lot of hundreds of views.
Families from throughout the globe contacted Tails of Hope about adopting the canine. In 2023, a few 12 months after she was burned, Riona discovered her “eternally home,” and was adopted by a household that requested anonymity however was situated about “a 10-hour drive from Memphis,” Natoli stated.
“I do have an image of her in her new home sporting little pajamas with hearts on them that say ‘I Love My Mom,'” Fields stated. “She’s doing nice.”
Meanwhile, Brown, who was out on bail and underneath orders to steer clear of animals, was arrested a second time in 2022 for violating circumstances of his launch when neighbors reported he had one other puppy in his home. (Officers discovered a cat and two meals dishes on the ground, however by no means discovered a canine.) Brown’s bond was revoked after that arrest after he threatened to burn down the home of neighbors who spied on him and to shoot any journalists who tried to interview him. After months in jail, nonetheless, his bond was lowered and he was in a position to put up bail.
According to Fields, Brown had agreed to plead responsible within the Riona case, consenting to by no means once more personal an animal; to donate $1,000 to Tails of Hope; and to serve a jail sentence of a few 12 months, based mostly on the legal guidelines referring to animal cruelty. But Monday’s listening to by no means obtained that far. Brown was arrested in court docket on the rape expenses, after being indicted in February by the Shelby County Grand Jury. Fields knew the arrest was coming, however the apprehension took Brown and his protection crew without warning. The timing was strategic: Brown had moved to Mississippi, so arresting him in Memphis prevented intra-state problems.
Brown subsequent will return to Division 9 of Criminal Court to be arraigned within the rape case. (The Commercial Appeal, in most cases, doesn’t establish sexual assault victims or present particulars that may establish juvenile victims in prison instances.) The animal cruelty case was continued Monday, and can resume April 16.
Prior to Monday’s listening to, Doll Stanley, senior campaigner with In Defense of Animalsa California-based worldwide animal safety organization, offered Mulroy and Fields with a petition signed by 15,472 individuals who supported Brown’s prosecution. She praised the district lawyer’s workplace for its efforts, however stated: “It’s maddening that people who hurt can not obtain the incarceration they deserve for his or her heinous acts of violence. Yes, we would like assist for people that suffer from psychological sickness, however we acknowledge that there are others who’re merely sadistic and haven’t any regret for the hurt they trigger.”
An animal lover with 5 dogs (all “rescues”), Fields stated her crew at present has about 40 felony animal cruelty instances pending, which probably characterize a small portion of the crimes dedicated. “We are seeing repeat offenders,” she stated. “We as a society want to know that as a lot as we wish to see folks punished, there must be an avenue for change, one thing to alter folks’s attitudes and educate them about animals.”
