WAYNESBORO, Ga. – A woman who abused a vulnerable adult in her care and then beat a dog to death while free on bond was sentenced Tuesday, Oct. 11, to six years in prison followed by 10 years on probation.
Toni Washington, 27, pleaded guilty in Burke County Superior Court to two cases – in the first the charges were aggravated assault, exploitation of a disabled adult and terroristic threats; in the second, she pleaded guilty to a single count of aggravated cruelty to animals.
In the first case, Washington was working at Lizzy’s Adult Day Care in Richmond County on March 12, 2019, when she snatched up a disabled adult and threw him to the ground, said Assistant District Attorney Justin Mullis. Later that day, Washington roughly removed the victim from his wheelchair again.
On the ground, the victim crawled after Washington and bit her leg, Mullis said. Washington then grabbed the victim by the throat and choked him, saying she was going to kill him, Mullis said.
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Washington was free on a $40,000 bond, when in late November 2021 Burke County animal control was contacted by a vet about a possible abused dog. The dog had numerous injuries included a fractured skill and pelvis, internal injuries, burns on his body and ripped out toenails. The dog was blinded by the brain injury. It was determined that the dog, a bulldog, died of blunt force trauma.
“This dog was beaten to death,” Mullis said. He and defense attorney Tyler Baum along with Washington agreed to a cap of six years in prison followed by probation.
Baum asked the judge for a probation sentence considering the near 18 months Washington has spent in jail. In the vulnerable adult case, Washington was thrown into a situation she wasn’t properly trained for, Baum said. She was taking responsibility for both cases, he said.
Heath imposed the sentence of six years in prison followed by 10 years on probation. She agreed to sentenced the abuse of a disabled adult case under the state’s First Offender Act. As a condition of probation, she is not to be around any vulnerable adult or any animal without supervision.
