Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on June 23, Allissa DeStefano, 30, of Toms River, was indicted by a Grand Jury sitting in Ocean County on three counts of Animal Cruelty.
According to county officials, during the evening hours of November 11, 2019, the Lacey Township Police Department responded to a residence in Lacey Township for a report that dogs had possibly been abandoned in the residence.
Officials said that upon arrival, the officers determined that the house was indeed abandoned, and the remains of three dogs were discovered.
An investigation by Detectives from the Lacey Township Police Department and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office revealed that DeStefano was responsible for the care of the dogs and had abandoned them in the residence, which resulted in their death.
According to officials, DeStefano was arrested without incident, and processed at the Lacey Township Police Department. She was released on a summons pending a future court date.