A former New Stanton man is set for a preliminary hearing Wednesday on neglect charges after state police said they seized 13 animals from deplorable conditions at his home.
Mason Timothy Fronius, 25, of Connellsville, is facing 39 misdemeanor animal neglect counts along with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
Troopers were called to New Stanton at 9:30 p.m. Jan. 27 to search for Fronius, who had threatened to shoot the animals and himself, according to court papers. Police contacted him by phone and found him outside the apartment building. He agreed to surrender, but police said he tried to get away when troopers took him into custody.
Inside his apartment, police confiscated an air rifle and found deplorable conditions. His apartment was covered in feces and garbage and had flies on the ceiling, according to court papers. The Westmoreland County Animal Response Team assisted troopers in removing a dog, five cats, a hamster, three mice, a snake, a rabbit and a fish.
The animals were dehydrated and hungry, police said. They didn’t have drinking water and only a small amount of cat food was found. The felines were infested with fleas and parasites.
A humane officer determined the animals “were unhealthy and the environment … (was) unbearable for these animals to live in,” according to court papers.
Police said Fronius was involuntarily committed for a mental health evaluation. He did not have an attorney listed in online court records. He could not be reached.
He is awaiting trial in a simple assault case from 2019 filed by state police, according to online court records.
