Elisha and Leah Waller, two Georgia sisters, were arrested Wednesday after authorities found 31 dying cats, a dog and a disabled man hoarded in a filthy hotel room they shared.
Police identified the disabled man as Leah Waller's 19-year-old son, who has cerebral palsy. According to local news outlet WSB, the young man was found trapped in the room, confined to his wheelchair amid squalorous conditions.
"Just feces, the smell of urine, just real bad," Snellville Det. Orlando Concepcion told the station. "Feces all over the floor, all over the kitchen. The litter box was full."
The Gwinnett Daily Post reports that animal control officials found "cats sick with upper respiratory infections and open sores," some of them pregnant, others missing hair. Of the 31 felines found in the room, only two were determined to have a chance of surviving; 29 were euthanized.
"We had no option but to humanely euthanize them because of the condition they were in," Sgt. Chip Moore of Gwinnett County Animal Control told the newspaper.
The women were discovered after other people staying at the Snelville hotel reported the overwhelming stench emanating from the room. The sisters face charges of animal cruelty and exploitation of a disabled adult.
(Story continues below.)
A 19-year-old disabled man identified as suspect Leah Waller's son was confined to his wheelchair amid filthy conditions. (Photo: Gwinnett County Police)
While booking the sisters, police discovered that they had been arrested in April on similar charges stemming from hoarding. In that instance, police found two horribly abused dogs and Leah Waller's son at the sisters' Loganville, Ga., home, in which there were "inches of feces lining the floors."
According to Det. Concepcion, the son has been placed in the care of his uncle, and his case will be handled by adult protective services.
The Wallers were released on bond following the previous incident. This time, they will be held without bond.
Related
Before You Go
