Toms River Man Pleads Guilty To Causing Dog's Icy River Death

Toms River, NJ — It has been 575 days since Andrew L. Mayer drove his pickup truck onto the frozen Toms River with his boxer mix, Rolo, along for the ride.

Five-hundred-seventy-five days since his truck plunged through the ice on the river, sinking beneath the surface, with Mayer escaping, without Rolo. And after months of wrangling, the case has finally come to a resolution.

Andrew L. Mayer, 29, of Toms River, pleaded guilty Tuesday morning before Ocean County Superior Court Judge James M. Blaney to one count of third-degree animal cruelty in the March 1, 2015 incident, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato announced.

In exchange for the plea, Ocean County Assistant Prosecutor Heidi Tannenbaum-Newman is seeking a sentence of 364 days in jail, restitution for first responders, and a waiver of owning companion animals, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor's office. Della Fave said the restitution requests, from State Police and Toms River Fire Company 1, total about $15,000.

Mayer's sentencing is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 9 before Blaney, Della Fave said.

Mayer drove his pickup truck onto the frozen river in the early hours of March 1, 2015, with Rolo in the truck. Reports at the time said witness 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 finally notified local authorities that he had gotten safely to shore, as authorities were preparing to send divers into the water to check the truck.

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. Rolo's body remained in the truck in the river for more than a week, while authorities waited for the river to thaw enough to safely remove the truck, which had come to rest about 100 yards off the shore of Pine Beach.

Mayer was charged with third-degree animal cruelty under Patrick’s Law, named for the pit bull that was nearly starved to death and then thrown down a garbage chute by his owner. New Jersey’s animal cruelty statute, 4:22-17, makes it a crime to leave an animal ”unattended in a vehicle under inhumane conditions adverse to the health or welfare of the living animal or creature;” animal cruelty is upgraded a third-degree crime if the animal dies as a result.

The case was a joint investigation by the New Jersey State Police, New Jerse SPCA, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, as well as the Toms River, Pine Beach, Beachwood and Island Heights Police Departments.

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Andrew L. Mayer, via Ocean County Corrections Department