CCSO Looking For Woman Involved In Animal Cruelty

Deputies with the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office are trying to locate a woman involved in an animal cruelty case. A deputy was first dispatched out to the home on Whitlock Road in Newport after a request for a welfare check on August 22. Dogs could be seen inside the home but conditions inside could not be. The deputy returned the next day but still could not make contact with the owners to enter the residence. Although the property owner gave permission to enter the residence, the deputy could not due to tenant’s rights. However, a member of the District Attorney’s office gave deputies permission to enter. Inside they found one dog dead in a cage and the remains of a small cat or rodent in another cage. Three dogs were removed by the Smoky Mountain Humane Society . Deputies stated that the house had no electricity, was in complete disarray with no food or water for the animals. There was trash and bugs everywhere in the home. The person said to be renting that home was found to be Lareda Mcghee, also known as Lareda Jenson. Deputies learned she is somewhere in Jefferson County but have not been able to locate her. She faces charges of animal cruelty if found.