Toms River Man Gets 6-Month Jail Term In Dog's Icy River Death

TOMS RIVER, NJ — It's been 719 days since Andrew Mayer drove onto the frozen Toms River with his dog, Rolo, beside him in his pickup truck, did donuts on the ice until the ice cracked beneath the truck and the truck sank into the frigid waters, killing the 2-1/2-year-old boxer.

On Friday, 12 days shy of the two-year anniversary of Rolo's death, a Superiour Court judge sentenced Mayer at last, sending the Toms River man to jail for six months, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced.

Judge James Blaney additionally ordered Mayer to pay restitution of $1,000 each to the New Jersey State Police and the Toms River Fire District 1 for the costs incurred during the massive search that happened March 1, 2015, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor's office.

Both the jail sentence and the restitution amounts are significantly smaller than what the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said it would seek when Mayer, 29, pleaded guilty in September to one count of third-degree animal cruelty in the incident.

In exchange for Mayer's plea, Ocean County Assistant Prosecutor Heidi Tannenbaum-Newman had sought a sentence of 364 days in jail, probation and restitution for first responders, Della Fave said at the time of Mayer's plea. Della Fave said the restitution requests, from State Police and Toms River Fire District 1, of $6273.76 and $8,370.60 respectively, were the only requests the prosecutor's office received. Beachwood, Pine Beach and Island Heights first responders also assisted with the search efforts, he said.

The prosecutor's office also requested that Mayer be banned from companion animal ownership for 5 years, but Judge James Blaney "did not deem a ban on companion ownership as necessary in this case, as Mayer expressed remorse and his acts were deemed reckless and no intent to harm his dog," Della Fave said.

Della Fave said Mayer also was also sentenced to pay minimum fines of $155., and he was taken into custody and to the Ocean County Jail immediately after sentencing. The charges of third-degree criminal mischief and pollution of water were dismissed as part of the sentence.

Mayer drove his pickup truck onto the frozen Toms River from the Island Heights area in the early hours of March 1, 2015, with Rolo in the truck. Reports at the time said witnesses saw the truck doing donuts, and then the truck's lights disappeared from view. That prompted a massive search-and-rescue operation that went on for more than 10 hours, with units from the U.S. Coast Guard Aviation Unit, the New Jersey State Police Marine unit, and police, firefighters and first aid from Toms River, Pine Beach, Island Heights, and Beachwood all responding to assist in snowy, rainy weather on that frigid day.

The search continued until Mayer notified Toms River police that he had made it safely to shore, just as divers were preparing to go into the frigid water to check the truck. But searchers saw Rolo's body in the truck at the time. They were unable to retrieve the dog until 8 days later, when the ice thawed enough to retrieve the pickup truck and the dog from the Toms River.

Mayer was charged with criminal mischief for causing a substantial interruption of public services, a third-degree criminal offense, by state police. He also was charged with reckless driving and pollution, state police said.

Mayer was indicted June 30, 2015, on two counts of purposely, knowingly or recklessly failing to provide necessary care for and protection of his dog from harm, and third-degree criminal mischief for causing a substantial interruption in public emergency services, Della Fave said at the time.

The incident sparked outrage from animal lovers, and defense of Mayer by family members and friends who insisted he tried to save the dog.

Read more on the sentencing here.

Here's the past articles from the Patch on this case.

• Two Men Identified After Pickup Truck Falls Through Toms River Ice; Dog Dies
• Cops: Man Won’t Be Charged In Pickup Truck Sinking In Toms River, Killing Dog
• Cousin: Toms River Pickup Truck Driver Who Fell Through Ice Tried To Rescue Dog
• Seaside Heights Cop Rips ‘Animal Loving Freaks’ Angry Over Dog’s Death In Icy Toms River
• Toms River Man Charged In Pickup Falling Through Ice, Killing Dog
• Dog Owner’s Friend Asks For Money To Retrieve Pickup, Pet’s Body From Icy Toms River
• Fundraiser For Dog’s Owner, Man Who Drove Into Icy Toms River Halted
• Toms River Pickup Driver Had Repeated Reckless, Careless Driving Citations, But No DWI
• Toms River Driver Faces Arraignment In Pickup Sinking In River
• Just After Canine's Body Found, Driver Charged In Dog's Truck Drowning In Icy Toms River
• Toms River Man Indicted In Truck Sinking That Killed His Dog
• Toms River Man Pleads Guilty To Causing Dog's Icy River Death

Andrew Mayer, via Ocean County Corrections Department; Rolo, Patch files