New Jersey

Police arrest woman accused of dumping dog in trash outside NJ apartment

Turquoise Morton, 38, is accused of dumping a malnourished dog in the trash outside an apartment complex in NJ. Morton spoke with NBC10 and denied the allegations

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Police arrested a woman who they say left an injured and malnourished dog in a trash bag outside an apartment complex in New Jersey.

On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, Turquoise Morton, 38, of Lindenwold, was arrested and charged with abandoning a domestic animal, animal cruelty and torture.

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In March 2025, the dog was found in a trash bag inside a dumpster outside the Belmont Apartments on White Horse Pike in Lindenwold. The dog was severely injured and malnourished. Lindenwold Police told NBC10 the dog survived after undergoing several surgeries. They also said the dog was later adopted and is recovering well.

On May 15, police released a surveillance photo of a person of interest in the incident who they later identified as Turquoise Morton. On May 16, a woman who claimed she was Morton, reached out to NBC10. The woman said she was taking out the garbage outside the Belmont Apartments in March when she spotted a man and got “spooked.” The woman said she then went back inside and called her mother who told her to not go back outside.

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The woman said she then spoke with police multiple times throughout their investigation. While police wanted her to come in, she told NBC10 she wasn’t able to because she doesn’t have a car and needed to take care of her son.

Police are searching for a woman responsible for leaving a dog for dead in a dumpster in an apartment complex Lindenwold. Residents of the complex say they are stunned to learn about the incident. NBC10's Lili Zheng has the story.

While the woman said she was the person in the photos that police shared, she denied dumping the dog in the trash and said she doesn’t even own a dog.

Morton was later arrested on May 20 and remanded to the Camden County Correctional Facility pending a court appearance.

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