TAMPA, FL. (March 24, 2025) – Tampa Police arrested a man for animal cruelty after he admitted to killing his dog by setting it on fire.
On Sunday March 23, 2025, around 7:15 pm officers responded to the 700 block of W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd for the report of a fire in the parking lot. Witnesses reported seeing a suspect, later identified as 43-year-old Jason Larson (white male, 3/24/1982), starting the fire in the parking lot. After the flames were extinguished, officers located a deceased dog. Prior to officers’ arrival, the suspect fled the scene.
Approximately thirty minutes later, Tampa Police were dispatched to a call reporting a single car traffic crash on the Courtney Campbell Causeway. When they arrived, they found an empty car, but then saw a man on a ledge on the other side of the rail making statements that he killed his dog, and that he was armed and intended to harm himself. The man was identified as Larson.
At 8:20 pm, the Courtney Campbell Causeway was closed in both directions as negotiators worked to peacefully resolve the incident.
After more than two hours, Larson was taken into protective custody, without incident, at 10:42 pm. He was charged with Animal Cruelty and transported to Orient Road Jail.
The Courtney Campbell Causeway reopened to traffic at 11:43 pm.
Officers did not see a weapon on Larson and there wasn’t a weapon recovered.
This is an active investigation. Updates will be provided as available.