Woman accused of cruelty to animals and exploitation of an elderly victim
Defendant also convicted of truancy; sentenced to jail
ADEL, Ga. – According to our news partners with the Adel News Tribune,
On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, during a bench trial in the Probate Court of Cook County, Danielle N. Torres, 41, of Adel was convicted on eight counts of violating Georgia’s compulsory attendance law, commonly know as truancy.
Probate Judge Chase Daughtrey sentenced Ms. Torres to serve 120 days in the Cook County Jail and fined her $800.
Ms. Torres represented herself during the trial, and County Solicitor Matt Bennett prosecuted the case.
After Ms. Torres was sentenced, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office went to meet with Cook County Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) personnel so the children affected could be taken into care, Judge Daughtrey said. The authorities found several dogs in deplorable conditions at Ms. Torres’ Lumby Smith Road home, according to warrants taken by Cook County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations.
According to the warrants, during offense times between 8 a.m. July 17 and July 30, 2025, at the residence, Ms. Torres maliciously caused the death of a white and brown puppy by not providing adequate food, water, or sanitary conditions. She also maliciously caused physical harm to a brown dog with what appeared to be a broken left front leg, another brown dog with a missing back left leg, and a white and brown nursing mother dog, warrants state. Two of the dogs had abdominal tucks and hourglass shapes to their torsos, as well as “a loss of muscle mass, no palpable body fat, [and] ribs, lumbar vertebrae, and pelvic bones visible,” and were maliciously inflicted with severe or prolonged physical pain, the warrants add. The dogs were “kept outside in temperatures of 100 degrees with no food or water,” while the nursing mother dog was not provided with adequate food or water “to thrive or nurse her puppies,” according to warrants. “She gave birth to a total of four puppies, two of which have died.”
Ms. Torres also allegedly did not provide adequate food, water, and sanitary conditions for a dark brown dog with a tan head (a beagle-type dog), a brown, white, and black puppy, a black and white dog, and a black puppy.
Warrants further state that during offense times between April 14 and July 17, 2025, in Adel, Ms. Torres exploited money and benefits from a woman, who is an elder adult over the age of 65, “through undue influence and coercion.” Ms. Torres allegedly stole the victim’s bank debit card and used it from May to July for multiple purchases of food, gas, utility service, and other items from several local businesses. Ms. Torres also allegedly used the card on Cash App to obtain money and for an online payment.
Ms. Torres has been charged with four counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, four counts of cruelty to animals, one count of exploitation of an elder person, one count of financial transaction card theft, and 34 counts of financial transaction card fraud, according to court records.
On Aug. 2, Cook County Magistrate Judge Nichole McCrary set bond for Ms. Torres’ pretrial release from the Cook County Jail at $207,000 (property or cash). Bond conditions include no contact with the elder exploitation victim; shall not go within 500 feet of the victim.
According to information reported during the first appearance/bond hearing in Magistrate Court, Ms. Torres has completed school through the 11th grade, has resided 10 months at her current home address, and is unemployed. Court records did not state whether Ms. Torres requested a court-appointed defense attorney.
The Alapaha Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case, which is pending in Cook County Superior Court.
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