University of Virginia football player Solomon Beebe faces three Class 1 misdemeanor animal cruelty charges over alleged incidents at his apartment complex earlier this month.
Court records show one alleged incident occurred on August 10 and two others took place on August 12. A housekeeper at the complex north of Charlottesville reported seeing Beebe punch his pit bull on two separate occasions.
The housekeeper was interviewed by an animal protection official during an investigation into Beebe's conduct. Animal protection officers were already looking into an earlier report concerning the handling of the dog when the housekeeper described two separate instances of violence on August 12.
"She observed Mr. Beebe hold his dog against the wall and punch his dog with a closed fist multiple times," animal control officer Justin Gibson said, "and the dog was yelping in pain with each strike."
Beebe was taken into custody on Monday and subsequently released on an unsecured bond.
Albemarle County animal control officers seized Beebe's pit bull on Thursday, August 13, and placed the animal into protective custody. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Shannon Pollock filed a legal petition seeking formal custody of the dog.
"This canine was seized on Thursday, August 13 in (the) county of Albemarle by its animal control officers and is currently held in protective custody at the SPCA in Albemarle County," Pollock wrote in the petition.
When asked for a response regarding the criminal proceedings and Beebe's status, the University of Virginia declined to comment on the case. "The University does not comment on matters involving ongoing criminal proceedings or student records," a university spokesperson told the Daily Mail.
Transfer to Virginia Cavaliers
Beebe joined the Virginia Cavaliers football team this offseason as an incoming transfer from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The running back and return specialist entered the NCAA transfer portal in December after playing two seasons for UAB, arriving in Charlottesville in January.
During his final season at UAB, Beebe recorded 338 rushing yards, 284 receiving yards, and six touchdowns. Ahead of the 2026 college football season, he was named to the watchlist for the Paul Hornung Award, an annual national honor recognizing versatile, high-level college performers.
Preparation for the 2026 Season
The Montgomery, Alabama native was seen practicing with his new team earlier this week. Virginia head coach Tony Elliott addressed reporters following Monday's practice as the team prepared for its season-opener against NC State on August 29.
"He showed immediately that he can play running back and be a really good one," Elliott told reporters. "So he's in the rotation there, which requires a lot to play for us. And then in the return game, he's already shown what he can do there."
Family Background and Career Progression
Beebe originally began his collegiate career as a walk-on player at UAB after completing high school without any Division I scholarship offers. He played one season at UAB alongside his brother, Lee Beebe Jr., who later transferred to Indiana University.
Athletic accomplishment runs in Beebe's family. His father, Lee Beebe Sr., played college football as a running back and wide receiver at Michigan State University and Alabama State University, while both of his parents were competitive bodybuilders.
