Bunnell police arrested a 21-year-old Palm Coast woman Sunday morning after finding two dead Labrador retrievers inside a local storage unit.
Officers responded to a storage facility in the 500 block of East Court Street around 9:44 a.m. on July 19 after a tenant reported a foul odor coming from a unit. The tenant told police that dog noises were usually heard from inside the space, but none had been heard that morning.
Upon arrival, the responding officer observed ants beneath the unit’s roll-up door and flies entering through a nearby vent.
The facility owner assisted officers in contacting the renter, identified as Alexia Veronica Barquet. When Barquet arrived on the scene, she unlocked the unit, gave permission for officers to enter, and stated she kept two dogs inside.
Investigators found the floor covered in trash, debris, and dog feces. A portable cooling unit was running inside, but officers noted it was blowing no cold air, leaving the interior at a temperature similar to the outside heat index of roughly 96 degrees. Water dishes inside the unit were empty.
Police discovered the remains of two female black Labrador retrievers: 5-year-old Ava and 2-year-old Karma. Karma’s body was lying on the floor near the door. Ava’s body was found wrapped inside a black plastic bag.
Barquet told officers she found Ava dead earlier in the week, put her body in the plastic bag, and left it in the unit. She said she last checked on Karma on Friday, July 17, at which point she left food and water.
Flagler Animal Services arrived at the scene to assist. According to agency records, an animal control officer had previously spoken with Barquet on March 19 and warned her against housing animals in the storage unit overnight.
Police arrested Barquet at the scene and transported her to the Flagler County Inmate Facility. She faces two felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty under Florida Statute 828.12(2) and two misdemeanor counts of animal confinement or abandonment without sufficient food, water, or air under Florida Statute 828.13(2)(b). Her bond was set at $6,000.
“This is a disgusting case of animal cruelty, and these dogs died in a condition no animal should ever face,” Bunnell Police Chief David Brannon said in a statement. “Animals depend entirely upon their owners for food, clean water, safe shelter, exercise, medical attention, and protection from dangerous conditions. Owning an animal carries a serious responsibility—one no person can ignore or set aside when providing care becomes difficult. Animal cruelty has no place in Bunnell, and our department maintains zero tolerance for anyone who abuses, neglects, or abandons an animal. When someone violates this fundamental duty and causes suffering or death, our officers will investigate thoroughly, follow the evidence, and relentlessly pursue full accountability under Florida law.”
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