Mayor Jane Castor, City Of Tampa | City Of Tampa website
Mayor Jane Castor, City Of Tampa | City Of Tampa website
Tampa Police have charged a man with animal cruelty following an incident where he admitted to killing his dog by setting it on fire. The arrest took place after a series of events on March 23, 2025.
Officers responded to reports of a fire at the 700 block of W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd around 7:15 pm. Witnesses identified the suspect as Jason Larson, who allegedly started the fire in a parking lot. Upon extinguishing the flames, officers discovered a deceased dog. Before police arrived, Larson had fled the scene.
About thirty minutes later, authorities were called to a single-car crash on the Courtney Campbell Causeway. They found an empty vehicle and then located Larson on a ledge beyond the rail. He made statements about killing his dog and expressed intentions to harm himself.
The causeway was closed in both directions at 8:20 pm as negotiators attempted to resolve the situation peacefully. After more than two hours, Larson was taken into protective custody without incident at 10:42 pm and charged with animal cruelty before being transported to Orient Road Jail.
Traffic resumed on the Courtney Campbell Causeway at 11:43 pm. Officers did not find any weapon on Larson or recover one from the scene.
The investigation remains active, and updates will be provided as they become available.
Alerts Sign-up