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Anastasiia Riddle, USA TODAY
A Colorado City woman was arrested Friday on suspicion of criminal negligence causing death after her elderly mother was killed in a dog attack in early February.
Jessica Hoff, 47, was charged with criminal negligence causing the death of an at-risk adult, a Class 4 felony, as well as 54 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, according to a Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office news release.
Sheriff’s deputies were called to a residence in the 4800 block of Jefferson Blvd. on Feb. 3 on a report of an unconscious woman and arrived to find 76-year-old LaVonne Hoff unresponsive with several dogs running loose in the home. Approximately two dozen other dogs and seven birds were also found in the home, according to the release.
LaVonne Hoff was pronounced dead at the scene and an autopsy later attributed her death to the dog attack.
“Sheriff’s detectives conducted an extensive investigation and learned that Jessica Hoff had left her mother at home alone with her dogs that day while she went to Pueblo to run errands,” PCSO officials said in the release. “LaVonne Hoff reportedly had dementia and required 24-hour care. Detectives learned that while LaVonne Hoff was left alone, she was attacked by the dogs that were loose in the home.”
PCSO detectives executed search warrants on the home and a second property of Jessica Hoff’s in Colorado City, finding a total of 54 dogs and seven birds. The animals were found living in unsanitary conditions and several of the dogs were in poor health, according to the PCSO’s release.
Jessica Hoff is being held at the Pueblo County jail on a $50,000 cash, surety, or property bond.
Chieftain Editor Zach Hillstrom can be reached at zhillstrom@gannett.com or on X, at @ZachHillstrom. Support local news, subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
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