JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville couple is dealing with the loss of their pets and apartment after an act of arson in San Marco last week.
It happened Tuesday, Nov. 26 at an apartment complex along Flagler Avenue.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the suspect, Gerald Allen, is the next-door neighbor of Amy Koerner and her fiancé, Shawn Davis. Allen is accused of breaking into the apartment and setting it on fire. He is now being charged with multiple felonies, including animal cruelty.
“They finally told me that the dogs had been murdered and then set on fire," Koerner said.
Overcome with emotion, Koerner struggles with the thought of never seeing her beloved dogs again.
Coco and Day-Day, a Pitbull and Chihuahua dacshund mix, were both three years old and loved by all.
They were both adopted, rescued and both recovered from heartworms, Koerner said.
Evidence on the scene suggested a violent attack.
"They found a machete, there’s blood all over the place, like piles of blood on the walls, on the ceiling, on everything," she said. "There’s gashes on the wall where I guess he missed."
Koerner said the weekend before the crime, Allen suddenly started acting strange.
"He knocked on the door and asked us to turn off our WiFi because he was scared that evil spirits were attacking all of us," Koerner said.
According to his mother, Allen suffers from mental health issues. The police report also shows Allen's mother was planning to Baker Act him on the day of the crime.
The couple’s apartment is considered a total loss and they are now being forced to salvage what they can and start over.
"The fact somebody I knew did this, somebody I knew and talked to and trusted and I’m losing everything again," Koerner said. "I lost my dogs. They're our family. I lost them in a brutal way."
The couple had this piece of advice to share: "If you see something, let somebody know, pick up the phone, call and let anybody know," Davis said.
The couple has set up a GoFundMe account to help with pet burial fees and housing costs.
Allen remains behind bars with no bond and is due back in court on Dec.18.