Two Arrested for Dog Fighting, Child Neglect in Sanderson

SANDERSON, Fla. -- Sheriff's deputies broke up what appears to be a dog fighting ring after arriving at a horrific scene Saturday night.

Deputies from the Baker County Sheriff's Office said they saw several agitated fighting dogs behind a home on Circle G Lane, one of which wasn't chained to anything, right near an unattended 4-year-old child who was sitting at a picnic table. The child was safely removed from the area.

The first deputy to respond to a call about a suspicious person walking around the house said he heard a noise behind the house, and found that it was from a mortally wounded dog in a kennel in the back of a pickup truck, bleeding from several wounds.

The deputy also heard barking from several dogs coming from a bit farther away, and heard people running away into the woods, but couldn't see them.

A neighbor yelled at the deputy where one of the people was standing, and the deputy found the owner of the pickup truck with the dog in the back, 37-year-old Cletus Gaskins.

Gaksins told the deputy his dog had gotten loose and he had come to pick it up. He said he had taken the dog to the house for breeding.

The deputy found a loaded 9 mm handgun on the front seat of the truck.

The child who had been taken from the area around the dogs was placed in the back of a patrol car. Moments later, a deputy saw a man walk up to the patrol car and try to open it.

He was sweating and panting, and told the deputy he hadn't run away. He said the boy was his son.

The deputy asked the man, 29-year-old Omar Aldridge, why he left his 4-year-old son alone with all the agitated fighting dogs, and he didn't answer.

The boy was given to his mother, and the deputy called the Department of Children and Families to initiate a report.

The deputies were able to follow a path behind the house to what they said was a dog fighting ring, with an extension cord that ran to the house for lighting.

The path from the ring to the truck was full of fresh blood.

Animal control came to the house to take control of the 14 pitbulls. The severely wounded one in the truck had to euthanized on the scene.

Gaskins and Aldridge were arrested.

Gaskins, who continually told the deputies he had only stopped by and was unaware of the dog fighting, faces charges of violation of the animal fighting act and animal cruelty.

Aldridge, who told the deputies he wasn't at the home until the deputies arrived, is charged with child neglect and violation of the animal fighting act.

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