A Moreno Valley woman accused of caging dozens of cats in her home, causing some of them to die, was charged Wednesday with 17 counts of felony animal cruelty.
Kristen Gotangco, 44, pleaded not guilty to all charges during an arraignment before Superior Court Judge Eric Keen, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for July 15 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Gotangco is being held in lieu of $10,000 bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.
Gotangco was arrested Monday following a joint Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and Moreno Valley Department of Animal Services investigation at her house in the 22000 block of La Jolla Circle, near TownGate Memorial Park.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. William Stens, deputies were called to Gotangco’s property about 7:30 a.m. Monday to conduct a welfare check after receiving reports of an extremely foul odor emanating from the location.
When deputies entered the house, they “discovered numerous cats being hoarded within the residence,” Stens said.
Animal services personnel were summoned and removed 100 cats and two dogs. According to the agency, many of the cats had been locked in cages, and 18 were either dead or in such dire condition that they had to be euthanized.
“Our first priority is to see that these animals get the proper medical care they deserve,” agency Director Steve Fries said Monday. “Ultimately, we want to see that each of these cats and dogs ends up adopted into loving homes.”
Because of the number of cats in need of medical attention, veterinary technicians at the city shelter were overwhelmed, and some of the cats were transferred to a standby treatment facility, Fries said.
Many of the cats are expected to be eligible for adoption in two weeks, he said.
Gotangco has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
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