WELLSBURG — A Wellsburg man has joined his wife in a criminal case in which the two have been accused of causing the death of nearly a dozen snakes.

Austin L. Slider, 23, of 2244 Marianna St. has been charged with cruelty to animals in Brooke County Magistrate Court, where his case is pending.

Both he and his wife, Mary J. Slider, 24, have been accused of leaving 11 snakes and five geckos unattended in their unheated home for more than two weeks in February.

City Police said they were called on Feb. 15 to investigate suspicions the Sliders had left multiple animals in their home after leaving it for an extended period.

Police said after learning utilities to the house had been shut off and observing a caged snake through a living room window, they entered it through an unlocked door.

Police said they found 11 snakes, including four that were dead, and the geckos.

They said the surviving animals were taken to an Oakdale, Pa., veterinarian. While the geckos appear to be recovering, the other snakes also died.

Police said the veterinarian determined the snakes had died from emaciation, dehydration, hypothermia or a combination of those conditions.

The snakes included four ball pythons, including two juveniles and two adults; a yellow Burmese python, four albino ball pythons, a red tail boa constrictor and a green ball python.