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Overflowing toilets, piles of trash, no food | Man accused of elder, animal abuse

Deputies said they saw rats, cockroaches, ants, spiders, flies, mosquitoes and black mold in the house.
Credit: Pinellas County Jail

DUNEDIN, Fla. — A Dunedin man is facing charges of abusing animals and an elderly woman after investigators say they were found in disgusting conditions -- and it's not the first time he was accused of abuse.

Richard Lawrence Goodwin, 65, was arrested Wednesday.

Deputies were sent to a home to check on a 67-year-old woman. When they approached the home, they said they could smell animal feces and rotting garbage. When they got inside, the stench was so overpowering they had to put on masks, officials said.

Authorities say they had to clear a path through heavy garbage to get to the woman's bedroom. She was taken to a local hospital.

Deputies say they also found 10 dogs, all skinny and some were emaciated. Two puppies were living in a plastic bin that was nearly two inches deep with their own feces, according to law enforcement.

Five large Macaw birds were loose inside the home, investigators say. The animals were taken by Pinellas County Animal Services.

None of the toilets in the home worked, and all were overflowing with sewage, officials said. Officials say the only working sink was on the opposite side of the home from the victim's room.

There was reportedly no food in the home.

Deputies said they saw rats, cockroaches, ants, spiders, flies, mosquitoes and black mold in the house.

Goodwin was transported to the Pinellas County Jail and charged with one count of abuse/neglect of the aged/disabled and two counts of cruelty to animals. He was released after posting $20,000 bail.

He was arrested in May for abuse/neglect of the aged/disabled -- involving the same woman. He had not been tried on that charge yet; a pre-trial hearing was set for May 1.

At that time, deputies said they found trash, feces, dead birds and food piled up inside the home. Urine was being stored in cups and bowls, they said.

The victim had to be taken to a hospital for treatment.

According to a records search, Goodwin has been charged about 50 times since 2002, ranging from accusations related to bad checks to grand theft and driving offenses.

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