A woman involved in one of Augusta’s most disturbing criminal cases, in which a 20-year-old victim was found naked, beaten, and locked in a dog cage, has been sentenced to five years in prison and 12 years of probation. Anjelika Figueroa, 32, received the sentence Tuesday from Superior Court Judge Ashley Wright after pleading guilty under Georgia’s First Offender Act.
Figueroa admitted to charges of false imprisonment, two counts of aggravated assault, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped charges of kidnapping and participation in a criminal street gang.
Her sentencing stems from a horrifying 2022 incident that began on the evening of Nov. 29, 2022, when a former roommate of co-defendant Shonna Powell alerted deputies after visiting Powell’s home on Nellie Drive. The man told authorities he had just been released from jail and went to collect belongings, but instead found a young woman caged and pleading for help, according to The Augusta Press.
According to the sheriff’s report, the victim was unclothed, severely bruised, and locked in a metal dog cage in one of the bedrooms. Powell allegedly told the man the woman was her “whore,” claiming the victim had stolen from her and would now be “pimped out” until she repaid her debt. The witness also said he overheard someone say multiple people were coming to “have their way with her,” which he interpreted as a planned gang rape.
The man also reported being threatened with a firearm by an unknown male, later identified as co-defendant Dawson Weston, before fleeing and contacting authorities. Deputies surrounded the home that night, calling for occupants to exit. DeMichael Dawson eventually came outside and informed officers that others were still inside.
Deputies entered cautiously, releasing three pit bulls from the house, and encountered filthy, disturbing conditions: feces throughout rooms, an empty cage, and clear evidence of violence. They found the victim in a back bedroom, her left eye swollen shut and her face severely bruised. She was immediately taken to safety and transported by EMS for treatment.
Authorities arrested all five suspects: Anjelika Figueroa, Shonna Powell, Savannah Piazzi, DeMichael Dawson, and Dawson Weston. Michael Leon Troupe Jr., 23, was later charged as well in the case.
Powell, believed to be the ringleader, hanged herself while in custody just three days before Christmas 2022 at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center, bringing her case to an abrupt and untried end. District Attorney Jared Williams has not publicly released the findings of a GBI investigation into the jail hanging.
Last month, co-defendant Savannah Piazzi was sentenced to three years in prison and several years of probation by Judge Wright for her role in the crime. Trials for Dawson, Weston, and Troupe are still pending.
The victim’s identity has been withheld due to the nature of the crimes and her right to privacy. Law enforcement and advocates credit the witness’s decision to come forward with saving her life.