Couple formally sues Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio over Arizona dog case arrests
Jun 22, 2015, 10:32 AM | Updated: 10:33 am
PHOENIX — A son of U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona has gone ahead with a lawsuit against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio over his arrest in the deaths of 21 dogs at a Gilbert pet facility.
Austin Flake and his wife, Logan, filed the lawsuit late last week.
The Flakes’ lawyer, Dennis Wilenchik, contended that Arpaio went after the couple because of Flake’s name recognition.
Charges against them were later dropped but reinstated against Green Acre’s owners, Maleisa and Jesse Todd Hughes.
In February, the Flakes had filed an $8 million claim against Arpaio and the county.
Wilenchik called the case against the Flakes “irresponsible police conduct” and that evidence was deliberately “misrepresented.”
Arpaio’s wife, Ava, was also named in the suit.
The Flakes were watching the animals in June 2014 while the Hughes were out of town. The dogs died in a locked room where the air conditioner had stopped working.
KTAR’s Martha Maurer contributed to this report.