A Brookhaven woman is facing a felony animal cruelty charge after a witness told police she was throwing kittens out of a moving minivan on Osborne Road Wednesday afternoon. Officers who responded to the area found a dead kitten in the roadway near the intersection of Peachtree and Osborne roads, and located the driver, 25-year-old Valentina Tobon Henao, at a nearby business a short time later.
According to Atlanta News First, a 911 caller reported around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday that a driver in a silver Toyota Sienna was throwing kittens from the vehicle while traveling toward Peachtree Road, and gave officers the driver's license plate number along with a description of the vehicle, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. That tip allowed Brookhaven Police to quickly identify Tobon Henao and track her down, and she was arrested on a charge of cruelty to animals. Jail records show she was later released on bond.
Many key details of the case remain unresolved. Police have not released the total number of kittens allegedly thrown from the minivan, whether any survived, or what may have prompted the incident, and Atlanta News First reports that further details on the incident had not been released as of Thursday. The outlet described the story as developing.
What Georgia Law Says About the Charge
Under Georgia Code § 16-12-4, aggravated cruelty to animals — defined as knowingly and maliciously causing death or serious physical harm to an animal — is a felony carrying one to five years in prison, a fine of up to $15,000, or both, per Justia Law. First-time general animal cruelty without proven malice, by contrast, is classified as a misdemeanor. Because the felony version of the charge hinges on proving malicious intent to cause severe harm or death, the police investigation and any forensic findings will be central to how prosecutors proceed.
The statute also gives sentencing judges the authority to order a psychological evaluation of anyone convicted under the law before a sentence is imposed, according to FindLaw. Judges are also required to weigh the offender's full criminal history at sentencing.
A Department With Recent Animal Cruelty History
This is not the first high-profile animal cruelty case Brookhaven Police have handled this year. In January, officers arrested 19-year-old Twitch streamer Aspen Easterling on animal cruelty charges after widespread public complaints about a live-streamed video showing alleged puppy abuse at a town residence, as Hoodline previously reported. Officers in that case executed search and arrest warrants on Town Boulevard and transferred the rescued puppy to county animal control.
The department's response earned it a Compassionate Police Department Award from PETA in February, recognizing its rapid response in rescuing an abused puppy identified through a social media investigation. PETA presented the certificate after officers secured search warrants within hours of receiving tips in that case.
How Animal Cases Move Through the System Locally
Animal welfare enforcement in Brookhaven involves a dual-agency response. Brookhaven Police handle the criminal investigation and any arrests, while DeKalb County Animal Services & Enforcement — operated by the nonprofit LifeLine Animal Project — manages animal intake, rescue, and shelter care once animals are recovered. The county agency admitted more than 1,350 pets across January and February 2026 alone while maintaining a shelter lifesaving rate above 92%, and it reported a 23% increase in pet adoptions in 2025 compared with the year before, even as intake pressures remained high.
Booking photo access in this case is also governed by procedure rather than automatic release. Under Georgia law and DeKalb County Sheriff's Office policy, jail booking photos go only to news organizations that have executed a formal Booking Photo Use Agreement with the Sheriff's Office, with media inquiries routed through the office's Public Information Officer.
No additional information about the alleged number of kittens, their fate, or a possible motive had been released as investigators continued piecing together what happened on Osborne Road.
