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An alleged assault in Maryland led to an unusual discovery after deputies arrested a landlord accused of threatening his tenants at gunpoint and found an alligator, a caiman, a snake, an emu and six handguns on the property, authorities said.
Sir Leander Evans Gamble, 57, of Waldorf, was arrested July 3 after deputies responded to a reported assault involving a firearm at a property on Penjack Place, according to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators said Gamble confronted three people renting a trailer on his property, physically assaulted them and then retrieved a handgun from his residence. He allegedly pointed the weapon at the victims and threatened to harm them before deputies took him into custody at the scene.
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Police identified the victims as a woman, her 28-year-old son and the son’s girlfriend, who was eight months pregnant at the time of the incident, FOX5 DC reported. The woman told the station she had been left traumatized and financially strained after the confrontation.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Gamble’s residence and recovered six handguns, the sheriff’s office said.
The investigation took another turn when Charles County Animal Control officers responding to the scene found multiple animals allegedly being kept in neglectful conditions, including an alligator, a caiman, a snake, an emu, dogs, cats and pigs.
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“Charles County Animal Control officers determined the animals were being kept in conditions that did not comply with Maryland animal cruelty statutes,” Jennifer L. Harris, chief of media services for the Charles County Government, said in a statement to the outlet.
All the animals were removed from the property, Harris said, adding that Animal Control’s investigation into their welfare remains active.
The renters also alleged that a dog named Carter died after Gamble failed to provide air conditioning in the trailer, according to FOX 5. Animal Control has not confirmed the dog’s cause of death.
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Gamble was charged with aggravated assault, and authorities said additional charges could be filed as the investigation continues. He was being held without bond at the Charles County Detention Center.