Carlos Santillan (Monroe County Sheriff's Office)
MONROE COUNTY, Ga. - A former Middle Georgia animal control employee surrendered to authorities Monday after investigators uncovered five additional animal cruelty charges tied to the deaths of shelter puppies.
Monroe County animal cruelty investigation
What we know:
Former Monroe County Animal Control Officer Carlos Santillan turned himself in on Monday on five additional charges of aggravated animal cruelty. Investigators said further investigation revealed five additional puppies were killed on June 18 at the Monroe County Animal Shelter in the same manner as previously reported incidents.
Deputies initially received a complaint on July 6 regarding the shelter incident. Santillan was subsequently fired by the Monroe County Board of Commissioners and charged with four counts of felony cruelty to animals, with a magistrate court judge setting his bond at $5,000.
Animal shelter criminal charges
What we don't know:
Authorities have not disclosed how the puppies were killed during the June 18 incident. Officials also have not released whether additional charges will be filed as the case remains under active investigation.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Monroe County Sheriff's Office Accreditation Manager and Public Information Officer Anna Greene Watkins, who provided details through official press releases.