Former Manatee deputy charged with abandoning two cats

MANATEE -- A former Manatee County Sheriff's Office deputy has been charged with abandoning two cats.

Russell Jacobus, 30, resigned Sept. 14, 2015. According to the report, Jacobus adopted two cats Sept. 3, 2015, at Manatee County Animal Services. The deputy adopted Max and Bushi for himself and his two young daughters.

"On the morning of September 4, 2015, Jacobus learned his older daughter experienced an allergic reaction to the cats as she could not breathe through her nose and developed a skin rash," the report states.

Later in the afternoon, Jacobus took the cats from his Palmetto residence and went to a remote area of Manatee County, south of Buckeye Road and west of Bud Rhoden Road where he abandoned the cats.

According to the report, GPS tracking supports Jacobus' presence at his residence at 4:15 p.m. and at the remote area at 4:25 p.m.

During an interview a week after deputies said he abandoned the cats, the deputy admitted to abandoning the cats due to the effect they were having on his daughter's health. Jacobus, deputies said, abandoned the cats as the quickest way to remedy the effect they were having on his daughter's health.

Jacobus was hired as a patrol deputy by the sheriff's office in 2007.

According to personnel records, Jacobus talked a suicidal subject down from a tree March 11, 2015, after building a rapport with him.

"This was obviously a tense situation and you handled it with compassion, talking the subject down," Maj. Dennis Dummer wrote in a memoranda.

In 2010, an allegation of conduct unbecoming against Jacobus was sustained. No more information was available in personnel records.

According to court records, Jacobus entered into a pretrial intervention program Feb. 9.

As part of the agreement, Jacobus is expected not to commit any new crimes or use intoxicants or illegal drugs, nor visit places where intoxicants, drugs or other dangerous substances are unlawfully sold. Another condition is Jacobus must maintain stable, lawful employment or continue regular attendance in school and participate in all programs recommended by the pretrial intervention officer.

The program runs through May 9. When Jacobus completes it, the charges are expected to be dropped.

Amaris Castillo, law enforcement/island reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7051. Follow her on Twitter@AmarisCastillo.

This story was originally published February 26, 2016 at 5:51 PM with the headline "Former Manatee deputy charged with abandoning two cats ."