Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on October 15, Allissa DeStefano, 30, of Toms River, was sentenced to a two-year term of probation as a result of a previously entered guilty plea to Animal Cruelty.
According to Prosecutor Billhimer, the Court ordered that DeStefano perform 60 days of community service and further imposed a lifetime ban on her owning animals.
The State argued for DeStefano to serve 364 days in the Ocean County Jail as a condition of probation. DeStefano pled guilty to the charge on July 23.
According to Prosecutor Billhimer, 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.
Prosecutor Billhimer 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 Animal Cruelty Squad 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 Prosecutor Billhimer, DeStefano was arrested without incident and processed at the Lacey Township Police Department. She was released on a summons pending future court appearances.