A Kenosha man has been arrested after officers found a man and his dog dead in a basement Monday with multiple stab wounds.
41-year-old Justin Tercek appeared in court Wednesday afternoon. A court commissioner set Tercek's bond at $1.5 million.
Investigators said Tercek stabbed 52-year-old Andrew Pfannkuche and his dog Jake Monday afternoon.
Pfannkuche's family said he and his dog were inseparable.
Tercek was charged with five counts, including two counts of burglary of a building, criminal damage to property, first-degree intentional homicide, and mistreatment of animals.
"It's more unfortunate as we continue to learn how it came to be,” Kenosha Police Chief, Patrick Patton said.
According to police, Pfannkuche moved into his home just three days before he was tragically killed in his basement.
“These weren't known individuals. Unfortunately, they had this new and vague connection that boiled down to the house,” Chief Patton said.
Police say Tercek had a grandmother who once lived in the house on 18th Avenue. However, the home was sold while Tercek was behind bars for a knife-related incident.
Watch: Police provide new details on the tragic stabbing death of a man and his dog
He served 48 days in jail for an unrelated incident, according to police.
“He did his time in jail, and he came out and, unfortunately, this is a situation he put himself right back in,” Chief Patton said.
Police said Tercek was released from jail on January 29. Five days later, he found himself back in police custody.
According to the criminal complaint, it all started just before noon on Monday, February 3, when officers responded to a call from Pfannkuche, who said someone had possibly entered his home in the 8500 block of 18th Ave. Police observed that the back door was broken, but no one was found inside.
Pfannkuche told police a man was in his kitchen at 1 a.m. He was then woken up a second time at 5 a.m. by a “smaller SUV on his lawn,” according to the complaint.
Police were called back to the same home about 2:30 p.m. for another burglary report. A caller told police they saw blood outside the back door.
Detectives began a homicide investigation, and Tercek was identified as a person of interest. About 6:30 p.m., officers saw him in an alley near 50th St. and 22nd Ave. and arrested him.
Tercek is due back in court on February 12 for a preliminary hearing.
Police believe there are no other suspects in the case. The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kenosha Police Detective Bureau at 262-605-5203.
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