Boston man arrested after three dead dogs found in abandoned U-Haul truck

MATTAPAN – A Boston man was arrested after police said three dogs were found dead in an abandoned U-Haul van on Tuesday.

William Cobb, 33, was arrested in Weymouth on Friday afternoon. He is charged with three counts of cruelty to animals and is scheduled to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court.

Police said they were called to Edgewater Driver in Boston’s Mattapan neighborhood on Tuesday night to investigate the van. Neighbors had complained about a terrible smell coming from the van and said there were a lot of flies surrounding it. When officers opened the van, they found three dead dogs inside. According to the police report, one of the dogs was in a cage.

In recent weeks, neighbors have reported seeing someone taking dogs in and out of the van. On Monday, several witnesses said they saw a man carrying water cans to the U-Haul to rinse off two dogs.