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Article Archive > Three animal-cruelty cases prosecuted Three animal-cruelty cases prosecuted A former Keyport couple has been charged with animal cruelty after officials say they left their three cats inside their foreclosed home and moved out of state. One cat died of starvation and the other two cats began to eat the dead cat to survive, said Victor "Buddy" Amato, the police chief of the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. A real estate agent who went to the Washington Avenue home last week discovered the cats, he said. Paul DeAngleantonio, 52, and his wife, Nancy, 50, were charged Friday with 14 counts of animal cruelty, said Amato. Amato said the couple moved out of their Keyport home on Jan. 6. They claimed they returned to get the animals, but there was a lock on the door, he said. SPCA Sgt. Matthew Giuliano went to the couple's new home in Horsham, Pa., and with help from police there, served them with the complaints. The two surviving cats will be put up for adoption, Amato said. Neptune case In a separate case, two Neptune residents were fined and ordered to perform community service for failing to provide food and water to a dog that starved to death, officials said. Johnnie Holmes Jr., 77, and his neighbor, Latonya Richardson, 38, both previously pleaded guilty to the animal cruelty charge. On Thursday, municipal court Judge Robin T. Wernik sentenced the Heck Avenue residents to 10 days of community service, Amato said. Holmes was also ordered to pay a $750 fine while Richardson must pay a $500 fine. Amato said the pit bull was in a pen on Holmes' property, but the pen belonged to Richardson. Each claimed they believed the dog belonged to the other, Amato said. The dog starved to death in December, he said. SPCA Sgt. Matthew Giuliano handled the case with Amato. Asbury man sought In an unrelated case, the same judge issued a bench warrant for an Asbury Park man who failed to appear at his municipal court sentencing on another animal cruelty charge, Amato said. William Lee Johnson, 49, of Asbury Avenue, allowed two dogs to starve to death at a friend's Neptune home in November, Amato said. A warrant was issued for Johnson's arrest Thursday afternoon, Amato said.
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