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Hoke County: Woman faces 44 animal cruelty charges after Covington Road search

The Hoke County Sheriff's Office says Melissa Ann Iglesias was arrested Oct. 30 on 17 felony and 27 misdemeanor animal-cruelty counts after a September Covington Road search found dead and malnourished animals. WRAL independently reported the arrest and bond.

UpdatedThis story has changed since it was first published.

By Alexandru Stanciu · Published

What we know

Confirmed

  • The Hoke County Sheriff's Office, in a release summarized by Voice For Us, said Animal Control went to a home in the 600 block of Covington Road on Sept. 2, 2026, on an animal-welfare report and found deceased animals and others that were malnourished.Confirmed by Hoke County Sheriff's Office, as reported by Voice For Us
  • Detectives then got a search warrant and found more deceased and malnourished animals and reptiles, that release said. Animal Control took custody of the dead animals and moved surviving animals to other caretakers or Animal Control.Confirmed by Hoke County Sheriff's Office, as reported by Voice For Us
  • CBS 17, in a Sept. 3, 2026, file citing the sheriff's office, independently reported the Covington Road response that Wednesday, the search warrant, and that dead animals included ducks, chickens, a peacock, mice and rats, birds and reptiles, with surviving animals including three dogs, three cats, a donkey, reptiles, fish and isopods.Confirmed by Hoke County Sheriff's Office, as reported by CBS 17 (Sept. 3, 2026)
  • WRAL's Sept. 3 file independently named Melissa Iglesias, then listed as 45, as the homeowner who was not there when deputies arrived, and printed a matching list of animals seized.Confirmed by WRAL (Sept. 3, 2026)
  • The sheriff's office said Melissa Ann Iglesias, the owner of the residence, was arrested Oct. 30, 2026, after she voluntarily arranged to meet detectives at the Hoke County Detention Center, Voice For Us reported from that release. Voice For Us printed her age as 46.Confirmed by Hoke County Sheriff's Office, as reported by Voice For Us
  • She faces 27 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and 17 felony counts of animal cruelty, 44 charges in all, Voice For Us reported from the release. WRAL independently wrote that Melissa Iglesias was arrested Oct. 30 and charged with 17 felony counts and 27 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty after dead and malnourished animals and reptiles were found at a Covington Road home in September.Confirmed by Hoke County Sheriff's Office, as reported by Voice For Us; WRAL (Nov. 2, 2026)
  • A magistrate set a $30,000 secured bond, Voice For Us reported from the release. WRAL also printed a $30,000 secured bond.Confirmed by Hoke County Sheriff's Office, as reported by Voice For Us; WRAL (Nov. 2, 2026)

Alleged or reported

  • Iglesias committed the 44 animal-cruelty offenses described in the charging papers. A charge is an accusation. She is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.Hoke County Sheriff's Office, as reported by Voice For Us and WRAL

Still unknown

  • How to settle Voice For Us placing the 600 block of Covington Road in Raeford against CBS 17 and WRAL's September files placing the same road response in Red Springs
  • A full species-by-species count tied to each of the 44 counts
  • Whether she remains in custody after the bond was set
  • The outcome of any Nov. 10 court setting

What this means for you

Public safety
This story is not an official or emergency notice. Charges are accusations. If an animal is in immediate danger, call 911. The Hoke County Sheriff's Office tip line printed in September coverage was 910-875-5111.

What happened

In Hoke County, a woman faces 44 animal cruelty charges after deputies say a September search on Covington Road turned up animals that had died and others that were underfed.

The Hoke County Sheriff's Office, in a release summarized by Voice For Us, said Animal Control went to a home in the 600 block of Covington Road on Sept. 2, 2026, on an animal-welfare report and found some animals already dead and others that were malnourished. Detectives got a search warrant and found more deceased animals and reptiles in bad shape, that release said. Surviving animals were moved to other caretakers or Animal Control.

CBS 17 and WRAL, in separate Sept. 3 files citing the same office, listed dead ducks, chickens, a peacock, mice and rats, birds and reptiles, and surviving animals that included three dogs, three cats, a donkey, reptiles, fish and isopods. Those September pages placed the response in Red Springs. The arrest write-up places that Covington Road block in Raeford. This file does not pick one town label.

The arrest

The sheriff's office said Melissa Ann Iglesias, the owner of the residence, was taken into custody Oct. 30 after she voluntarily arranged to meet detectives at the county detention center, according to that release. The arrest summary printed her age as 46. WRAL's September file had listed Melissa Iglesias as 45.

She faces 27 misdemeanor animal-cruelty counts and 17 felony animal-cruelty counts, the release said. WRAL, in a Nov. 2 file, independently wrote that she was booked that Friday on those same 44 counts after the Covington Road finds in September.

A magistrate set a $30,000 secured bond, both the release summary and WRAL reported.

Charges are accusations. Iglesias is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

The same arrest summary also cited court records for a Nov. 10 District Court setting and said online booking records still showed her held when that page was written. WRAL's arrest file did not print those lines, so they are not treated as matched here.

Anyone with information was asked in the September coverage to call detectives at 910-875-5111.

This story is not an official or emergency notice. If an animal is in immediate danger, call 911.

Related coverage

Photos

Text-only. No mugshots or outlet photos are used here.

Why it matters

Hoke County investigators say a September animal-welfare call turned into dozens of cruelty charges after dead and malnourished animals were found on Covington Road. Neighbors and readers need the charge totals, the bond figure, and that a charge is not a conviction.

Updates

  1. Nov 3, 2026, 2:18 PM

    First file on the Oct. 30 arrest. Hoke County Sheriff's Office via Voice For Us, matched on the arrest, 44 counts and $30,000 bond by WRAL. September CBS 17 and WRAL files supply the earlier animal lists. Town label for Covington Road still splits Raeford vs. Red Springs.

Sources

  1. MELISSA ANN IGLESIAS arrested after dead, malnourished animals found at Hoke County property (Voice For Us, citing a Hoke County Sheriff's Office press release: Sept. 2 Animal Control response, 600 block of Covington Road in Raeford; deceased and malnourished animals; search warrant; additional deceased and malnourished animals and reptiles; surviving animals transferred; Iglesias, 46, owner, arrested Oct. 30 after voluntarily arranging to meet detectives at the Hoke County Detention Center; 27 misdemeanor and 17 felony animal-cruelty counts (44 total); $30,000 secured bond; author also cites online arrest records and a Nov. 10, 2026, 9:30 a.m. District Court setting from court records. Text-only; mugshot not used.)

    Official sourcePublished by Hoke County Sheriff's Office, via Voice For Us · Checked Nov 3, 2026, 2:12 PM

  2. Hoke County woman faces 44 animal cruelty charges after dead, malnourished animals found (WRAL News, posted Nov. 2, 2026, 7:30:44 p.m. / datePublished 2026-11-02T19:30:44+00:00: several dead and malnourished animals and reptiles found at a Covington Road home in September; Melissa Iglesias arrested Oct. 30; 17 felony and 27 misdemeanor animal-cruelty counts; $30,000 secured bond. Text-only; no WRAL photos used.)

    Published by WRAL · Checked Nov 3, 2026, 2:12 PM

  3. Animal cruelty investigation underway after dead animals found at Hoke Co. home (CBS 17 / WNCN, Justin Moore, posted Sept. 3, 2026, 9:24 p.m. EDT: Hoke County Animal Control, 600 block of Covington Road in Red Springs; call about two dogs; deceased and malnourished animals; search warrant; dead ducks, chickens, peacock, mice and rats, birds, reptiles; surviving three dogs, three cats, a donkey, reptiles, fish, isopods; Capt. Daniel Shipp quoted on uninhabitable conditions; 45-year-old homeowner then a suspect, not yet charged; tip line 910-875-5111. Kept for the September scene list. Text-only; no CBS 17 photos used.)

    Published by CBS 17 · Checked Nov 3, 2026, 2:12 PM

  4. Animal cruelty: Ducks, chickens, rodents found dead at Hoke County home, other animals rescued (WRAL staff, posted Sept. 3, 2026, 1:40:53 p.m.: Red Springs; about 10 a.m. Wednesday; Melissa Iglesias, 45, homeowner not there; dead ducks, chickens, peacock, mice and rats, birds and reptiles; surviving three dogs, three cats, a donkey, fish, reptiles, isopods; investigation pending; detectives 910-875-5111. Kept for the September scene list and name. Text-only; no WRAL photos used.)

    Published by WRAL · Checked Nov 3, 2026, 2:12 PM

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