Commerce City Couple Charged After Animals, Kids Found in "Deplorable" Conditions

A married couple is facing dozens of criminal charges after police discovered three young children and 35 animals living in "squalor" in their Commerce City house.

Demetrio Urbina, 39, and Araceli Urbina, 32, were each charged with three counts of child abuse on Tuesday, September 9, according to the 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office. Demetrio was also charged with 31 counts of animal cruelty, one count of unauthorized practice of veterinary medicine and three firearm-related counts.

Officers responded to the couple's home after someone reported that Demetrio had performed an unlicensed veterinary procedure on a dog that ended up dying. When they entered the house in the 10200 block of East 113th Avenue, the conditions were "horrific," "disgusting," and "deplorable," police claim.

Authorities found 31 dogs, two cats and two guinea pigs in the residence, in addition to a dead dog in an outside trash can. The house was littered with urine, feces, cockroaches and maggots, requiring officers to wear hazmat suits when entering, according to an affidavit for the suspects.
The couple's three children — ages three, eight and ten — were also living inside the home.

"This definitely is one of the worst houses that we’ve seen in quite a while," Commander Dave Mowery said while announcing the couple's arrest on August 28. "This has been going on for a while. There are concerns regarding the smells that have been coming out of the house, the number of animals, the condition of the home, the children in the home."

Child Protective Services was brought in for the children, according to police. The animals were taken to multiple local animal shelters.

The couple appears to have been breeding and selling dogs and puppies out of their home. An Instagram account under Demetrio's name advertises the sale of several dogs with the business name Takeoffs Block Bully Kennel Club. A Facebook account under the same name describes itself as specializing in "Exotic American Bully Breeding, Frenchies and English Bulldogs."
Commerce City police say they have responded to at least ten animal-related complaints at the property in the last three years.

Most of the 35 animals found in the residence were confined to small cages in the garage. The veterinary procedure that Demetrio allegedly performed before the dog's death was a "cherry eye" surgery, according to the affidavit, though authorities believe he had performed other unlicensed procedures on other dogs in the past.

The child abuse and animal cruelty charges against the couple are all misdemeanors. The only felony charge is one count of attempted possession of a weapon by a previous offender against Demetrio. He was previously convicted in a string of burglaries in Weld County in 2006.

Demetrio's next court date in Adams County District Court is scheduled for September 29. Araceli is due in court on October 3.