TOMS RIVER — The Toms River man who drove his truck onto a frozen river was sentenced to six months in jail Friday for causing his dog to drown when the vehicle broke through the ice.
Andrew Meyer(New Jersey State Police)
In sentencing Andrew Mayer, Superior Court Judge James Blaney said some jail time was necessary, but he rejected Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Heidi Tannenbaum-Newman’s request for a 364-day jail term, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor’s office.
Blaney also rejected the state’s request for Mayer, 29, to pay full restitution to the agencies involved in the search-and-rescue efforts and instead directed him to pay $1,000 each to the New Jersey State Police and Toms River Fire District 1.
They were two of several agencies that responded to a 911 call about a truck falling through the ice, leading authorities to initially suspect that the driver was submerged in the frigid water.
Noting Mayer’s remorse, Blaney also rejected Tannebaum-Newman’s request for Blaney to ban Mayer from owning a pet for five years. Blaney said he did not think a ban was necessary because he believed that while Mayer’s actions were reckless, he didn’t intend to harm his dog, Della Fave said.
Man who drove truck onto frozen river admits killing dog
Mayer pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty on Sept. 26, admitting he knowingly or recklessly failed to provide the necessary care for his 2-year-old boxer-lab dog, Rolo, by driving his pickup truck onto the frozen river in Pine Beach shortly after midnight.
Authorities have said Mayer was doing donuts on the ice. A relative of Mayer has said the dog was not in the vehicle at the time but jumped into the Mazda B2200 pickup truck while it was stopped on the ice.
Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato has said Mayer failed to tell authorities about the incident when he got safely to shore. That touched off an hours-long search for potential victims.
It was only after that search attempt that authorities learned Mayer got out unharmed but his dog did not.
The search operation involved the U.S. Coast Guard’s Aviation Unit, the New Jersey State Police Aviation Unit, the marine units from State Police and several local police departments, and the fire companies and first aid squads from Toms River, Beachwood, Pine Beach and Island Heights.
The case was jointly investigated by the New Jersey State Police, NJSPCA, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, as well as the Toms River, Pine Beach, Beachwood and Island Heights police departments.
Of all those responding agencies, only the State Police and Toms River Fire District 1 responded to prosecutors’ request about restitution, Della Fave said. State Police said it cost them $62,273 and the fire department said it cost them $8,370, Della Fave said.
Ocean County Sheriff’s officers escorted Mayer from the courtroom and to the county jail to start serving his term, Della Fave said.
MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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