Fancy Pups Owner Says Woodbridge Internal Affairs Contacted Him

Woodbridge, NJ - Rocco Garruto, the owner of now-closed Fancy Pups pet store in Avenel who was arrested Dec. 27 and charged with animal cruelty as well as violating a restraining order, said he’s been contacted by Woodbridge Police Internal Affairs over how his arrest was handled.

Woodbridge Internal Affairs officers called him twice last week, and he plans on speaking to them “soon” with his attorney, Garruto told Patch Monday.

“The Woodbridge Police Department is obligated to investigate the allegations that Garrutto (sic) made in the media,” said Woodbridge township spokesman John Hagerty. He said he was unable to comment further.

Garruto said IA officers questioned him about the manner in which he was arrested on the morning of Dec. 27.

That morning, he was not put in a jail cell, but was instead handcuffed by his wrists to a pipe in the basement of the Woodbridge jail for about four hours, Garruto says. He had no access to water or a bathroom during that time, he claims, and was kept there from about 7:15 a.m. until his release at 11:50 a.m.

“I couldn’t move,” he told Patch Monday. “I would have been fine if I was in a cell, and could have used the bathroom or gotten some some water.”

Instead, Garruto claims, he was kept ”shackled” to a pipe.

“The officer who chained me said, ’You know, I’m an animal lover,’” said Garruto. “I told him, ‘I am, too!’”

Garruto was arrested by Woodbridge police at his auto body shop, Crystal Auto Sales, for allegedly violating the terms of a restraining order imposed on him by Woodbridge and the state SPCA. The restraining order prevented him from selling or transporting dogs, yet Garruto had three dogs with him at his autobody shop at the time of his arrest.

“When they first arrested me, they said I could post the ($2,500) bail and be out of there in 20 minutes,” he said. “I had the money and could have posted it right away. Instead, I was kept chained for four hours.”

“I started having an anxiety attack,” he continued. ”I started screaming, ’Help me! I’m having an anxiety attack!’ I couldn’t move.”

He said a female officer came down, took his pulse and said he was fine.

The next day, Garruto said, he was treated by his doctor for extremely high blood pressure and anxiety.

“You know why they did this. They did it to teach me a lesson,” he said. “I’m sure they (the police) talked to the ASPCA, and the ASPCA told them I don’t treat animals right. So they wanted to teach me a lesson.”

Rocco is next due in Woodbridge municipal court this Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 6:45 p.m. to answer for the alleged restraining order violation.

Fancy Pups was raided by Woodbridge and the state and shut down on Dec. 24; Garruto was arrested Dec. 27; and then on Jan. 5 the state Attorney General issued $21,000 in possible fines to Fancy Pups because he failed to follow state laws designed to prevent the sale of unhealthy pets, officials allege.

Photos: Image of Mr. Garruto he provided. Second image: Fancy Pups being raided by the NJ SPCA and Woodbridge Animal Control.