Pet rat crushed to death during domestic dispute
Neptune, NJ (US)

Incident Date: Friday, Dec 26, 2008
County: Monmouth

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Todd Smith

A township man is facing animal cruelty charges after being accused of crushing a woman's pet rat during a domestic dispute Friday night, authorities said.

Todd Smith, 49, was charged with needlessly killing a living creature after the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was called to investigate the matter by Neptune police, said Victor "Buddy" Amato, the society's police chief.

Smith is facing three separate cruelty charges, according to the summonses issued by Sgt. Matthew Giuliano of the SPCA.

"Our investigation shows there was a dispute at the residence and he took the woman's pet rat and crushed in right in front of her," Amato said.

If convicted, Smith could face a maximum of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine on each offense.

References

• Asbury Park Press - Dec 27, 2008

« NJ State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Monmouth County, NJ

Not sure what these icons mean? Click here.

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.