UPDATE: The victim's dog has been located and returned.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office reported Tuesday morning that the missing dog named "J.J." has been located in good health. The dog was reunited with her owner.)

SARASOTA COUNTY — An 18-year veteran of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office was arrested Monday morning and charged with the attempted murder of a 79-year-old woman.

Deputy Frank Eugene Bybee, 46, of Sarasota, also was charged with battery of a victim 65 and older; burglary of an occupied dwelling; exploitation of the elderly; two counts of grand theft; forgery and petit theft. He declined to speak with detectives following his arrest and is being held at the Sarasota County Jail on bonds totaling more than $1 million.

“If you didn’t do anything wrong as a cop and you have reasons why you didn’t do anything wrong… having that opportunity to talk to people you work with is a huge story itself,” Sheriff Thomas Knight said during a press conference at the Sheriff’s Office. “That he didn’t want to talk to them — he invoked his rights — he’s a criminal.”

The Sheriff’s Office began an Internal Affairs investigation Dec. 20, 2016 when a 79-year-old woman reported that Bybee had been harassing her.

According to Sarasota County sheriff's arrest reports, Bybee befriended the elderly woman after she called the Sheriff’s Office for help on Oct. 21, 2016. The patrol deputy transferred her to Sarasota Memorial Hospital and he prayed with her before he left, the investigation found.

Bybee reportedly began visiting the woman regularly while on- and off-duty, and introduced the woman to his family, including his three children.

Knight said the deputy showed up in uniform to gain the woman’s trust.

About two months later, the woman reported to deputies that Bybee had inserted himself into her personal life and had become too controlling. She asked the Sheriff’s Office for help severing the relationship with the deputy.

While she was hospitalized, the woman said Bybee took possession of her two-year-old Yorkshire Terrier and agreed to care for it. He communicated with her via phone calls, text messages and regular visits.

Knight said he sent her a picture of himself holding the dog named “J.J.” close.

The woman told detectives that the deputy was to care for the dog while she was away, but he was not entitled to keep or sell it. She provided $1,000 to Bybee to cover veterinarian visits and grooming fees while he temporarily cared for the pet.

Bybee told detectives in an interview Jan. 16 that the money was to cover the cost of “boarding” the dog. He admitted he had posted and “rehomed” the Yorkie on Craigslist. The missing dog was located today, and reunited with its owner, the Sheriff's Office reports.

On Jan. 9, detectives intercepted an envelope delivered to the Sheriff’s Office at 2071 Ringling Blvd. and discovered four checks made out to Bybee and his three children for $65,000.

Analysts found a fingerprint on the back of a check written to Bybee’s youngest son, which was determined to be from the deputy’s right index finger, according to the arrest reports.

The Sheriff’s Office immediately placed Bybee on administrative leave.

The woman said the signatures on the checks were not consistent with the way she signs them and that she did not intend to give Bybee any money.

Three days later, according to the Sheriff's Office, Bybee returned to the woman's home and attempted to kill her. On Jan. 12, she called 911 to report that Bybee had entered her house through an unlocked door wearing dark clothes and blue latex gloves. The deputy was reportedly agitated because he had been placed on administrative leave, she stated. While she was in a chair, Bybee grabbed her face with his gloved hand causing her to bleed. He forced an unknown white pill into her mouth, authorities reported.

The woman said she resisted until she lost consciousness.

When she awoke he was gone. She walked to the kitchen where she saw the kitchen door leading to the garage open. Her car was running and carbon monoxide was filling her home.

She summoned help.

An examination found lacerations, abrasions and bruises to her face and body. The Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant that obtained cell phone data, photographs, security video and latex gloves.

Knight said the investigation concluded Bybee attempted to kill the woman and stage a suicide. Bybee was arrested at 7 a.m. Monday and paperwork initiated to terminate his employment.

Knight called Bybee’s alleged actions a disgrace to the agency and policing.

“It is beyond unacceptable that an individual who works in a position of trust and guardianship to their community, is capable of such heinous crimes. His actions are a disgrace not only to our agency but to law enforcement professionals everywhere. … Now that he is off our streets and behind bars, we will let the criminal justice system will take its course,” Knight said.

Anyone who may have been a victim of Bybee is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office investigations unit at 941-861-4932 or 941-861-4935.

The deputy has been involved in five Internal Affairs investigations since he was hired Dec. 10, 1998. His last IA investigation was two years ago for violation of department policies.

The IA found Bybee made a false statement to supervisors regarding the time of a television interview and that he was absent from work without approval from a supervisor.

Bybee said administrative actions were politically motivated and he sued Knight, Conley RV Inc. and its owners, claiming he was demoted from detective to patrol deputy because of the incident.

“A political supporter has been vilified in the public eye with truthful information that Frank gave about how his RV was mishandled,” Bybee's attorney, Craig Berman, told the Herald-Tribune. “That's why (Knight) came down so hard on Frank.”

Bybee sought $15,000 in the civil suit, which remains open, and dates back to September 2014 when his RV was allegedly burglarized and vandalized while awaiting repairs at Conley RV.

He was suspended for 56 hours. The move to patrol deputy was considered a lateral transfer within the Sheriff’s Office.

Bybee had a base salary of $66,406 and receives $1,560 annually in salary incentives. He was assigned to the Patrol Bureau, Parks, Community Policing Unit and also to the Criminal Investigations Section.