I know what you’re thinking. You know plenty of sober people who sit on their ass all day not feeding their dogs until one is a skeleton and can’t be bothered to find an ashtray so they use their child’s nose. Drug use couldn’t possibly be the reason for this sort of bizarre behavior right?

Jennifer Lytton of Statesville was arrested at her home early Tuesday afternoon, and in addition to the assault charge, may now family animal cruelty charges as well.

Hamby said the girl told a teacher at her school that her mother put a cigarette out on her nose, burning her nose.

The teacher noticed the mark on the girl’s nose and asked her how it happened, and that’s when she told about the cigarette.

Hamby began an investigation and took out the warrant on Lytton. The sheriff’s office warrant squad went out to look for Lytton Tuesday morning but she wasn’t located.

On Tuesday afternoon, Warrant Squad Deputy Chris Snow went back out to the residence, and knocked on the door, but didn’t get an answer. Neighbors told Snow he needed to check on the condition of some dogs in the back yard, Hamby said.

Snow checked on the dogs, and found one dog skeleton with a collar attached and two emaciated dogs in the yard, Hamby said. Snow called the Iredell County Animal Services and an officer came and took possession of the two dogs and the skeleton.

Hamby said a warrant was obtained to make sure no other animals were in the house, and after going into the house, found Lytton hiding in a closet. A bag of marijuana was also found, he said.

Lytton was arrested on the original assault warrant and then cited for the marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

She puts a cigarette out on her child’s nose, has a dog skeleton with the collar still on it in her backyard and was hiding in the closet when the police came around. Yeah, that’s not the drugs.

Before anyone claims sober people do the same thing I say, name three.

h/t Dreamin’ Demon who can’t figure out why this woman is so stupid and lazy. ‘Tis a mystery to be sure.