'Malicious torture:' Dead cats, emaciated dogs found in Wake woman's apartment

Brigette Maunette Baldwin, 24, of Chelsea Drive, was charged Thursday with eight counts of killing an animal by starvation and seven counts of felony cruelty to animals.

In court Friday, she wiped tears from her eyes.

Baldwin is accused of locking four cats in a room without food or water sometime between Oct. 23 and Nov. 6, resulting in their deaths, according to arrest warrants. Four other animals that died weren't identified in warrants.

Six dogs, including black Labrador retrievers, beagles, a pitbull and a Shih Tzu, were found starving in "deplorable conditions," arrest warrants state. A seventh animal, found alive but starving, wasn't identified.

Wake County deputies serving an eviction notice at an apartment in Garner on Tuesday found the dead and starving animals, authorities said. Wake County Animal Control officers then went to Baldwin's Chelsea Drive address, which is south of Raleigh, and found more animals there.

Corissa Paccio lives next door to Baldwin's apartment in Garner, which now has a note on the door from the Wake County Sheriff's Office saying it's been padlocked.

"I just heard the dog barking and whining, and that's it; I didn't know what was going on," Paccio said. "It's horrible. I mean, I don't have any animals myself, but I just can't imagine."

The surviving dogs will receive veterinary treatment. One of the veterinarians said, hopefully, they'll one day be healthy enough to be adopted.

Baldwin was being held in the Wake County jail under a $45,000 bond. If she is released on bond, she is prohibited from owning or caring for another animal.