A woman facing felony charges alleging animal abuse at the Lake Hughes facility Rock ‘N Paws challenged a court-ordered search of her home Tuesday, arguing her conditions of release should not require a forfeiture of Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights.
Christine De Anda, 57, of Lake Hughes, has been charged with 35 counts, including misdemeanors and more than a dozen felonies, in her operation of the “animal rescue.”
A statement from the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office alleged that there were “more than 300 animals in inhumane and unsanitary conditions, including animals suffering from dehydration, severe injuries and starvation,” according to a Sept. 17 news release.
The criminal complaint also accuses her of violating multiple county codes, including operating an animal kennel without required land-use approval, maintaining unsanitary conditions and having structures with unpermitted construction, plumbing, electrical and grading work.
De Anda has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, and she was granted bail over the objection of the DA’s Office, according to prosecutors.
The bail came with numerous conditions, including that she stay away from Rock ‘N Paws and any of its associates, as well as “a requirement that she permit compliance inspections by law enforcement or Animal Care and Control, on reasonable notice, of property she owns or controls — a condition that expressly does not authorize a search of any electronic device or account absent consent, a warrant, or other lawful authority,” according to the motion filed by Mike Devereaux of Beverly Hills-based Wex Law on De Anda’s behalf.
Devereaux said the court order is not the same due process a person receives in a search-warrant request, arguing that skipping that would violate her Fourth Amendment right of protection from an unreasonable search and seizure.
De Anda’s attorney filed the motion Monday because De Anda’s property was scheduled to be searched next week, according to the filing. The search would involve four county agencies — Animal Control, Regional Planning, Public Works and Public Health — going through a private residence, he wrote.
He also wrote that a legal standard that would allow the search of a licensed business operating under certain circumstances doesn’t apply in De Anda’s case, because of the private residence. He wrote that the court ordering her cooperation in a search could amount to a violation of her Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, per the motion.
The arguments gave Judge Candice J. Henry enough to consider to hold off on the ruling Tuesday, according to a court official, who said Henry reserved her judgment on the motion until De Anda’s next court date.
“Prosecutors agreed before the court that no warrantless entry onto the property would occur on Oct. 20, 2026, under the authority of the prior order in this criminal case,” according to a statement Wednesday from the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office.
De Anda has been ordered back to Department A1 of the Lancaster courthouse for a Nov. 2 appearance, which is also expected to discuss the schedule for her preliminary hearing.
At a preliminary hearing, the prosecution presents the evidence it has, and a judge then decides whether there’s enough evidence to merit a trial.
