Police: Dead Bear And Dog Found In Crescent Twp. Home, Game Commission Investigating
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CRESCENT TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- Police and the Pennsylvania Game Commission are investigating after a dead bear and dog were discovered inside a home in Crescent Township.
Workers with a property management company found the deceased animals Tuesday afternoon at a home on Hart Drive.
"As we walked through the rental today, we discovered a dead dog in the pool house and a bear cub in the garage," property manger Jeff Warner said.
The dog was found in the pool house, and the bear was discovered in the garage.
The workers called the police, who then called in the Game Commission.
Police say a couple had lived in the home, but recently called the property management company, Aegis Realty Partners of Mount Washington, to say they were leaving. They had reportedly never paid the rent.
Officials identify the renters as Tyler Shimer and Tori Diffendorf, and say they could face serious charges.
The company took over the property in October, and were inside Tuesday cleaning up when they found the 2-year-old bear, which had been gutted, and the dog.
Crescent Township Police Chief Ken Longerman says investigators were told the dog had drowned in the pool on the property in November, but officials don't believe the animal has been dead that long.
"Looking at the dog, it doesn't look like the dog has been deceased as long as they say it had been deceased," Longerman said. "We will take the dog to Rainbow Vet to have an autopsy to find the exact cause of death."
Shimer and Diffendorf are expected to face animal cruelty charges for the dead dog, and much more serious charges with the Game Commission for the bear.
Officials say the dead bear was not tagged.
"The black bear had been killed, apparently illegally," Lingerman said. "It was not been tagged it was gutted and it was lying on the garage floor."
Police say once this is all sorted out, Shimer and Diffendorf face some serious charges from Crescent Township Police and the Game Commission.
