TOMS RIVER — An Ocean County has been charged for animal cruelty stemming from an incident that occurred two years ago , according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer.
Ashley DeStefano, 30, of Toms River was indicted by an Ocean County Grand Jury on three counts of Animal Cruelty on Wednesday, June 23rd.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred earlier this year. Officers from the Lacey Township Police Department were dispatched to a residence within the township on November 11th, 2019 for a report of dogs in distress at an abandoned residence.
Officers arrived to a horrid scene. The house, which was deemed abandoned, had the remains of three dogs. Further investigation revealed that DeStefano was responsible for the care of the dogs, Billhimer stated.
DeStefano was arrested in Lacey Township without incident and was released on a summons.
Charges are merely accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Ocean County Post 
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