A Reserve woman has been arrested and booked with aggravated cruelty to animals after St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives found four severely malnourished dogs caged in the same kennel at her home.
Christina Benton, 22, was arrested Friday, Nov. 14., is being held in the parish jail. No bond has been set.
On Wednesday, November 12, 2025, while investigating a separate investigation, SJSO detectives conducted a search warrant on a residence in Reserve. While conducting the search warrant detectives located four dogs who were caged in the same kennel and appeared to be severely malnourished.
Detectives applied for and were granted a second search warrant to the residence at which time the dogs were recovered and transferred into the custody of St. John Parish Animal Control.
The dogs, which are pitbull mix, were taken to a local veterinary hospital where it was found that the dogs appeared to have been neglected to the point of abuse for quite some time as none of the conditions that the dogs suffered from would progress quickly, but rather over time from lack of appropriate treatment and their body scores indicated a lack of appropriate feeding.
Through the course of their investigation detectives discovered the dogs were owned by Benton. Benton was arrested at her home and booked with four counts of aggravated cruelty to animals.
The dogs are currently in the care of St. John Parish Animal Control.