Animals found living in filth, woman faces charges

By Alexis Stevens

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

One cat was dead and three other animals were found starving to death in Norcross apartment Tuesday night, police said.

Deputies went to the apartment to serve an eviction notice, according to Stacey Bourbonnais with the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office. Inside, they found filth.

Animal feces, urine and fleas filled the rooms, Bourbonnais said. The resident, Suzy Lugo, wasn't home. There are now warrants for her arrest on animal cruelty charges.

Deputies found two Bullmastiffs and one cat in various stages of starvation inside the Ashley Lakes Drive apartment, police said. Another cat had died and appeared to have been partially eaten by another animal, Bourbonnais said.

"The living conditions inside the apartment were so severe and the animals were in such bad condition that deputies could count every single bone in one of the dog’s bodies," Bourbonnais said in a statement.

The three surviving animals were removed from the apartment and are now in the custody of Gwinnett animal control.

Neighbors told deputies that Lugo, 29, had been stopping by daily to pick up mail, Bourbonnais said.  When arrested, Lugo will face one felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals and three misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals.