VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Beach woman who disappeared with her children, and set fire to a home that killed two animals, has made a plea on Tuesday.
Monica Lamping was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of Felony Torture to Animal Causing Death, and she entered an Alford plea for both counts.
An Alford plea is a registered formal claim that does not admit guilt, but acknowledges that prosecutors have enough evidence to move forward with the charges.
"It was in her best interest if the Commonwealth agreed to drop the arson charge to face the two lesser charges," said James Broccoletti, Lamping's attorney. "The two animal cruelty charges carry a five year maximum for each. The arson charge carries a maximum of life."
Lamping was charged after two pets died in a house fire that she was accused of setting in 2017. She was charged with arson, but that charge was nolle prossed.
Investigators said Lamping knocked over an oil lamp to start the fire. They said she was in a custody battle with her ex-husband and ran away to North Carolina with her children after she started the fire.
The pets that died in the fire, a Husky puppy and a cat, belonged to Lamping’s former roommate, Courtney Bullock. Two other cats survived the fire.
The animals were in a room with the door blocked by a dog kennel and died of smoke inhalation, according to the prosecution's stipulation of facts.
Click below for the full court documents:
"I'm very disappointed the arson charge was dropped," Bullock said after the hearing. "How can you say you're not responsible when you left them in a room in a burning house?"
Lamping faces a maximum of ten years in prison.
She will return to court for sentencing on April 15th.