KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Two people in Knoxville have been charged with animal cruelty after an apartment fire led investigators to discovery the suspects had been keeping more than 20 animals in their unit, court records obtained by WVLT News say.

The case centers on 18-year-old Jazmin Garcia and 20-year-old Skyla Whisenant. The court records said officers responded to their apartment complex on Magnolia Avenue for a fire Wednesday, Dec. 10.

“After officers, EMS and fire personnel cleared concerns of an active fire, officers stood outside the open doorway to the small studio apartment and observed animal feces, cages, trash, food, sand and various objects scattered throughout the apartment, creating extremely unsanitary living conditions,” a case report said.

In total, responding offi

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