ADDISON COUNTY — On this past Sunday, May 19, Vermont State Police in the New Haven barracks announced the results of a three-month-long investigation into an animal cruelty case in Bristol.
On the afternoon of Jan. 31 troopers executed a search warrant at a Bristol home. State police were assisted by members of the Homeward Bound/Addison County Humane Society and later by the Vergennes Animal Hospital. Police seized six  animals — multiple cats and a rabbit — due to poor living conditions and health concerns for the animals.
Police investigated further and said they found out that 29-year-old Josh Farrington of Bristol was responsible for the care of the animals, but he had abandoned the residence with no known whereabouts. Police attempts to locate Farrington were unsuccessful, and they got a warrant for his arrest.
Farrington was later located and taken into custody.
During a civil forfeiture proceeding regarding this case, police learned that two of the cats were owned by Jennifer Sumner, 22, of Middlebury. Police cited bother Farrington and Sumner for cruelty to animals. They are due to answer the charge in Addison County Superior Court, criminal division, on July 15.
Separately, troopers from the New Haven barracks conducted saturation patrols on May 7 and 8 between 5 and 7 p.m. in Ferrisburgh in order to enforce motor vehicle laws and distracted driving laws and to promote safe driving. The five troopers who took part stopped a total of 38 vehicles, issued 26 traffic tickets (14 related to distracted driving), and issued 145 written warnings.
There will be a sobriety checkpoint(s) conducted in Addison County, by area law enforcement within the next two weeks, state police announced late last week. This will be done in an effort to monitor the flow of traffic along Vermont’s highways in the interest of detecting and arresting persons under the influence of alcohol or any drug that has impaired their ability to operate a motor vehicle.
In other recent activity, Vermont State Police:
•On May 8 at approximately 2:45 a.m. were told that a vehicle had driven off the roadway on Short Street in Bridport. When they got to the scene, troopers identified the driver as 19-year-old Hassan Farhan of Burlington. Troopers report that they learned that Farhan’s driver’s license was under criminal suspension, and they claimed that Farhan attempted to provide them with false information regarding operation of the vehicle. Police arrested Farhan, took him to the New Haven state police barracks and cited him for driving with a criminally suspended license and giving false information to a police officer.
•On May 9 updated a case that had been initiated the previous month. On April 22 at a quarter to 6 p.m. state police received a report that a vehicle had been stolen from a Lookout Lane home in Monkton. Troopers suspected that a Monkton man took the vehicle without the owner’s consent, and used it for several days. Police cited the man for aggravated driving without the owner’s consent but after the man successfully completed court diversion, they cleared this incident from his record.
•On May 9 at shortly after 10 a.m. saw a vehicle westbound on Route 17 in Bristol with no registration validation sticker on the rear plate, and stopped the vehicle. With the assistance of Bristol police, troopers identified the driver as 45-year-old Sybil Saunders of Vergennes. They cited Saunders for driving with a criminally suspended license and violation of conditions of release.
•On May 11 at around 10:30 a.m. saw a vehicle being driven on Main Street in Bristol by someone known to have a suspended license. Additionally, troopers learned the vehicle did not have a registration validation sticker affixed to the rear plate. With the help of Bristol police, the trooper stopped the vehicle. The trooper cited Collin Bell, 35, of Bristol for driving with a criminally suspended license and with violating conditions of release .
•On May 12 at approximately 1:12 a.m. stopped a motor vehicle on Route 7 in New Haven for speeding and marked lane violations. Police said their investigation showed that Rusty C. Conant, 58, of New Haven was driving while under the influence of alcohol. They cited Conant for DUI, second offense.
•On May 12 at just before 5 a.m. checked out a report that a car had crashed into a utility pole on Morgan Horse Farm Road in Weybridge. The vehicle was not occupied when police arrived on scene. Investigation showed that two occupants left the scene without reporting the crash. Troopers said they learned that the two occupants involved in the crash were Michelle Davignon, 29, and Roger Towle Jr., 32, both of Middlebury. Troopers report that when they spoke to them, both Towle and Davignon provided false information. Davignon reportedly was injured in the crash and treated at Porter Hospital. Police sited both Towle and Davignon for providing false information to a police officer.
•On May 12 at a few minutes before midnight, stopped a motor vehicle on Route 7 in Ferrisburgh and identified the driver as Alyssa Cassidy, 34, of New Haven. Troopers learned that Cassidy had an active arrest warrant out of Illinois, where she faced charges of unlawful possession of methamphetamine. Police arrested Cassidy without incident and jailed her at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility for lack of $75,000 bail.
•On May 13 saw a vehicle southbound on Route 7 in New Haven with an expired inspection sticker. Police stopped the car and cited the Dawn N. Doviak, 38, of New Haven for driving with a criminally suspended license.
•On May 14 at approximately 8 p.m. stopped a motor vehicle on Route 17 for an observed equipment violation. After seeing several indicators of alcohol impairment in the driver running some roadside tests, the trooper cited Robert Jackman, 39, of Bridport for driving under influence, second offense.
•On May 16, cited Jeffery McGrath, 51, of Leicester for simple assault on May 8. On that day, at about 10 minutes to 8 p.m., state police received a call to investigate a citizen dispute at a Leicester home. Troopers said they learned that McGrath had assaulted a 56-year-old Leicester woman. He is due to answer the charge in court on July 29.
•On May 18 at 7:30 p.m. pulled over motor vehicle stop on Route 7 in New Haven, suspected drunk driving, screened driver Kent A. Sourdiff, 54, of Jacksonville, Fla., and cited him for driving under the influence, second offense.
•On May 18 at a little passed 9 p.m. stopped a motor vehicle on Route 7 in New Haven, detected indicators of impairment in the driver, screened him and cited Jeremy Roberts, 45, of Addison for driving under the influence of drugs.
•On May 19 stopped a motor vehicle on Sand Road in Ferrisburgh. Troopers detected signs of impairment in driver Shilo Rinder-Goddard, 30, of New Haven. Police sited Rinder-Goddard with driving under the influence, second offense.