As a puppy was beaten to death by their mother’s boyfriend, children screamed. When police arrived, they discovered a bloody hammer

After his girlfriend’s children allegedly heard him brutally murder a puppy, he fled to a nearby river to avoid arrest.

Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth described the incident at a home in Milan Township, Ohio, on May 5 as “sickening,” according to CBS affiliate Cleveland 19 News.

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Deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a man killing a puppy, resulting in a “onslaught of screaming from family members,” according to the Erie County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO). Deputies quickly discovered a “extremely distraught” girl outside the home, who told them that her mother’s live-in boyfriend had killed a puppy and fled, according to police.

The girl and her second child told police that their boyfriend, Jimmy Wiggins Jr., threatened to choke the puppy, whom the outlet identified as Hank, before allegedly bludgeoning him to death.

“What one of the children described was Jimmy threatening to strangle Hank, and then he heard Hank screaming like a puppy would scream, and they heard an impact,” Sigsworth, of Cleveland 19 News, said.

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The children claimed to have seen Hank dead inside the bathroom, but when they arrived, the puppy’s body had vanished, according to the ECSO. Wiggins, 46, was also gone, allegedly leaving only a bloody hammer and a bottle of peroxide, which the children claimed he used to wash his hands.

Meanwhile, the children’s mother, 42-year-old Gretchen Howard, was at the home, which the ECSO described as “in complete disarray, smelled strongly of animal feces/urine, and was basically uninhabitable due to the deplorable conditions,” according to Cleveland 19 News. Howard spoke with officers but couldn’t be understood, according to police.

While searching for Wiggins, deputies discovered footprints that led them to the river behind the home. The ECSO reported that they heard sticks breaking and a splash. Deputies were able to locate Wiggins, who was partially submerged in the water and holding on to a tree branch, thanks to the assistance of additional first responders and drones.

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He was later arrested, along with Howard, who was allegedly discovered in possession of a crystallized substance during a traffic stop just hours before, according to Cleveland 19 News. Wiggins was with her during the stop and was driving without a license, according to the outlet.

During the search, deputies discovered “an influx of narcotics, most notably methamphetamine and/or paraphernalia/instruments in plain view,” according to the ECSO. After Wiggins was discovered, all of the items were confiscated as evidence.

The Erie County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, May 10.

Wiggins and Howard were both booked into jail on May 7, with bonds of $50,000 and $20,000, respectively, according to jail records obtained by PEOPLE. It was not immediately clear whether they had hired legal counsel to comment on their behalf.

Wiggins was charged with two counts of child endangerment and one count each of tampering with evidence, animal cruelty, and obstructing official business. Howard also faces two counts of endangering children and one count of obstructing official business.

They are both scheduled to appear in court later this month: Howard on May 12 and Wiggins on May 16.

The ECSO informed Cleveland 19 News that Howard’s two children are permanently in the custody of Erie County Job and Family Services. Another puppy, Mud, was found at the scene and moved to a new home, according to the outlet.

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