Woman charged after rescuing squirrels

MY9NJ - A Howell, New Jersey woman is facing charges for rescuing two baby squirrels after their mother passed away.

Maria Vaccarella has several videos of the two tiny creatures she named George and Lola. She thought she was doing the right thing. 

"Actually, it was a lot of work, like having a newborn baby," Vaccarella said. "My son named George after my nephew and I named Lola after the song."

She was so excited by the two that she kept posting them on social media. That's when the plot thickened: The NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife came calling.

"Two officers knocked on my door on Halloween and they weren't trick or treating," Vaccarella said.

They told her they had heard she had a squirrel and had seen it on Facebook. She said she was happy to tell them the story.

She ended up handing George and Lola over to the officers, but it wasn't over. Maria was charged with unauthorized possession of wildlife and is now facing a civil fine of $100 to $500. She refuses to take a plea deal.

"I'm guilty of what? Like I said, whether it's a human or animal, it's saving a life and I'm going to fight it," Vaccarella said.