Toms River Woman Pleads Guilty To Abandoning 3 Dogs Who Died

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River woman has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty in the deaths of three dogs she abandoned in a Lacey Township home in 2019, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced.

Allissa DeStefano, 30, pleaded guilty Friday before Superior Court Judge Rochelle Gizinski, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 24, and the prosecutor's office will be seeking a term of 364 days in the Ocean County Jail as a condition of probation.

The three dogs were found dead in a Lacey Township home on Nov. 11, 2019, after someone called police to report dogs may have been abandoned in the house.

>>>Want to win Six Flags Great Adventure Season Passes? Here's how.

Investigators learned DeStefano was responsible for the care of the dogs and had abandoned them in the house, and she was charged, Billhimer said.

Assistant Prosecutor Kimberly Carr is handling the case for the prosecutor's office. Billhimer praised the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Animal Cruelty Squad and Lacey Township Police Department for their investigation.

Click here to get Patch email notifications, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Toms River Patch on Facebook.