More than 100 dogs found at Modesto home during domestic violence investigation

Erin Tracy, Lydia Gerike
·2 min read
6
Video shows poor condition of dogs found at apparent puppy mill in west Modesto

Stanislaus County Sheriff’s deputies investigating a case of domestic violence and torture came across a suspected puppy mill with more than 100 dogs in west Modesto on Thursday.

Deputies with the department’s Special Investigations Unit found the dogs while serving a search warrant in the 500 block of Roselawn Avenue, stemming from a domestic violence call on April 30.

Sgt. Luke Schwartz said the victim had endured continuous abuse and torture. The suspect allegedly burned her with a butane torch, beat her with an ashtray and used a shock collar on her.

Schwartz said she was able to get away from the suspect on April 30 but he was not arrested at that time due to concerns he had a firearm and the potential for a “violent confrontation.”

The case was forwarded to the SIU, which developed a plan to safely apprehend the suspect. On Thursday, 38-year-old Nicholas Dean Baugh was arrested at his mother’s home in east Modesto.

Afterward, SIU deputies served a search warrant at Baugh’s home on Roselawn, where he occupied both parts of a duplex, and located about 150 dogs both inside and outside of the home.

A fire broke out while deputies were there and the Burbank-Paradise Fire Department was called to the scene.

Asst. Chief Chris Bernardi said the fire was mostly extinguished by deputies when they arrived but firefighters finished putting it out and stayed to help with the dogs. He said the dogs were in various states of health and one dog died of smoke inhalation.

Animal control took possession of the dogs, which are French Bulldogs, Dobermans and other breeds, many of which had American Kennel Club registration, Schwartz said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation but it started on the stove, has been classified as an accident and appears to be unrelated to the service of the search warrant, Bernardi said.

Baugh was booked into the Stanislaus County Jail on suspicion of two counts of domestic violence, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, torture and 146 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty. His bail is set at $500,000.