The police said that, a Virginia woman was charged after they found dead cats in the refrigerator at an apartment in the Charleston pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of misdemeanor animal cruelty.

Madeline Gourevitch, aged 31, of the Charleston, pleaded guilty to the charge in Kanawha County Magistrate Court before the Magistrate Joe Shelton. She was fined with $300 and also have to serve 20 hours of community service. A six-month sentence will be suspended for a year and will be dropped after the woman completes community service and does not remain with any other charges.

The prosecutors said that felony animal cruelty charges were complicated because of the questions about legality of the search and a deal was reached for a plea to a misdemeanor animal cruelty.

Gourevitch was charged with animal cruelty after the police and humane officials found the cats 10th March, according to a criminal complaint filed in the magistrate court. An examination of the cats determined that the cats died of starvation.

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The complaint said that on March 9th a landlord went to check on one of his rental properties on the Wyoming Street because the front door had been shattered. He said that he noticed a smell was coming from the kitchen. As he opened the refrigerator, he saw a cat’s paw sticking out of a trash bag, then he opened the freezer and there was another trash bag.

The police responded and returned the next day along with the humane officials and removed the dead cat at apartment’s entrance and also the cats that were discovered in the refrigerator, the complaint said.

The apartment was in the bad shape, with cat feces and also clothes scattered everywhere, the apartment appeared like it had not been occupied for a long time, said the police.

Mrudula Duddempudi.