Soddy-Daisy couple get attorneys in cruelty case
The Soddy-Daisy couple charged with child abuse and several counts of animal cruelty have been appointed attorneys and will return to court later this month.
Dustin Tallent, 24, and Staci Tallent, 31, will next appear July 18 at 8:30 a.m. in Hamilton County General Sessions Court. Their attorneys, John Mahlum and public defender Joe Lodato, declined to comment Wednesday.
The Tallents were arrested after Hamilton County Animal Control followed up on a tip and visited their home on the 100 block of Francis Street on June 26. As animal control officer Jason Nelson opened the door, he made one disturbing discovery after another.
“The entire residence was covered in household trash, urine, and feces,” Nelson wrote in a criminal affidavit. “Most areas were approximately 3 ft. in height.”
He found four dogs, three cats, one rabbit and one python, “all extremely thin.” He found one child locked in a room with trash and feces and two other children locked in a different room with trash and feces. He also discovered dead animals in freezers: Three dogs, one rabbit and six birds, all emaciated from starvation. He and his partner called the Soddy-Daisy Police Department, which arrested Staci Tallent for aggravated
child neglect and Dustin Tallent, who was arrested later when he got home from work.
Child Protective Services took the children — ages 2, 2 and 5 — into custody and to a hospital.
“They told me the situation had gotten out of control about a year ago and had just gotten out of hand,” Detective Craig Winters wrote in a court document. “When I asked about the dead animals, Dustin said they just couldn’t afford vet bills and did not have a shovel to dispose of them once they died.”
Both in custody, Dustin and Staci Tallent made their first appearances Wednesday. But prosecutor Ben Boyer explained neither the state nor defense were ready to have a hearing yet; Mahlum was appointed to Dustin Tallent’s case that morning and the public defender recently received Staci Tallent’s arrest affidavit.
“If both of you get out on bond, we’re going to make this a condition of bond that you’re not to have any possession of any animals whatsoever,” Judge Gary Starnes said. “That includes your own residence or someone else’s residence.”
They each face 15 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and three counts of aggravated child abuse. They have no other criminal history in Hamilton County General Sessions Court.
“If both of you get out on bond, we’re going to make this a condition of bond that you’re not to have any possession of any animals whatsoever.”
— JUDGE GARY STARNES