Las Vegas (KSNV) — A judge will decide next week if a couple behind a large animal hoarding case in the valley will be spending more time behind bars.
This story has garnered the attention of animal advocates and the community alike.
Many are outraged that the couple is accused of hoarding nearly 150 animals, about a third now dead.
Now they’ve been partially sentenced in Boulder City.
“It breaks my heart. All of them were my babies,” said Carolyn Luke. “I’m so heartbroken that this happened.”
72-year-old Luke and her 79-year-old fiance Timothy Miller spoke for the first time in court Thursday.
They were pleading to Judge Victor Miller for a lighter sentence after being accused of animal cruelty.
“I feel horrible that this happened,” said Timothy Miller to the judge. “We love the animals and we never thought this would happen. And it would never happen again.”
PHOTOS: Home of suspects accused of hoarding dozens of animals, 40 found dead in freezer
The couple is facing 51 counts of animal cruelty after Boulder City Police pulled them over late last month and found 51 rabbits and guinea pigs in their car.
Eleven were dead, and four have died since then.
Luke and Miller admitted to police they had more animals at their Las Vegas home and a La Quinta hotel, leading to a total of nearly 150 animals between the three locations.
More than 40 of them were dead.
The Boulder City prosecutor asked for jail time for the couple for the Boulder City charges alone.
“Just the sheer number of animals that they had in their possession that were being neglected, I think you have to make a statement on this case to the community. Also to them,” said Thomas Moskal, the city prosecutor.
After negotiations, Miller and Luke pled no contest to five counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty, and the other counts were dismissed.
Judge Miller sentenced the couple to community service, a $1,500 fine, and counseling.
That’s after a psychological evaluation over the weekend where Luke and Miller were found competent, but a counselor said they would benefit from therapy.
Possible jail time is still up in the air until Tuesday.
Judge Miller will decide whether Luke and Miller get a minimum of six months in jail that can be suspended or a maximum of 2.5 years in jail.
“It’s a pretty good sentence in a case like this with what you normally see in the court,” said Moskal. “So I’m happy with it, even though we don’t have the outcome on it.”
Miller’s attorney Christopher Tilman argues against more time behind bars as Luke and Miller have already spent 21 years in jail.
“My client is 79 years old and not in great health,” said Tilman. “I don’t think municipal jail is a good place for, you know, healthy young people, let alone somebody, you know, with his with his issues.”
Tilman believes there are other options.
“I would hope that he would be released on some sort of monitoring,” he said. “Another thing the judge did today was prohibit them having any animals whatsoever, and there will be checks on that as well.”
Luke and Miller will be back in court Tuesday afternoon to find out whether they will be heading to jail.
There’s no word yet on charges filed in Metro’s jurisdiction for the animals found in their home and hotel room.