A Pittsburgh man is accused of starving his dogs so badly that one of them died.

Investigators said they found four pitbulls inside Xavier Williams’ Marshall-Shadelane apartment. One of the dogs is dead, while the other three were too weak to stand. 

The criminal complaint details a level of neglect that police officers described as “extreme.” Officers found the dogs after they were called to the apartment on Sunday. The call came from Williams’ ex-wife, who found one of their dogs, “lying in a cage, barely breathing, surrounded by urine and feces,” according to police. 

The dog was taken to an emergency animal hospital. Investigators said the dog was too weak to move and too frail to hold up his head. The dog later died from starvation and neglect, officials said. 

According to the criminal complaint, the three other pitbulls in the apartment were so severely malnourished that their bones were visible, and they were unable to stand on their own.

Police noted that there was no water or food in the cages, and the deplorable conditions resulted in visible wounds. The three dogs were removed by animal control and taken to Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh.

“He mistreated them all the time. He’d walk by and hit them,” one neighbor said.

According to the criminal complaint, when Williams was questioned by police, he blamed his ex-wife for not taking care of them. But detectives say she had been sending him $135 a month for dog supplies and even offered receipts to prove it.

He was released on non-monetary bond. His preliminary hearing is set for next month.Â