Toms River Man Indicted in Death of Mocha
Toms River, N.J. – Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato today announced the return of an indictment by the Ocean County Grand Jury against Clifford Robbins, 75, of Toms River, NJ, charging him with Third Degree Cruelty to Animals.
The indictment stems from an April 14, 2014 call for police response reference the death of Clifford Robbins’ dog Mocha. Arriving officers found Mocha dead within a sealed animal travel carrier which had been connected by a hose to the exhaust of Robbins’ vehicle. Toms River Township Officers contacted the Toms River Animal Control department, who responded and took control of the continuing investigation regarding Mocha’s death.
On May 7, 2014, officials from the NJSPCA brought the case to the attention of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office seeking legal advice on how to proceed and whether charges were appropriate. The prosecutor’s office immediately directed that a necropsy be ordered and opened its’ own investigation regarding the events surrounding Mocha’s death.
Today, at approximately 6:45 am, members of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and NJSPCA, assisted by the Toms River Police Department, responded to Robbins’ Toms River residence and served him an arrest warrant for the above charge. Robbins, after processing, was released to answer the charge at a future date. The defendant by law will have a pre arraignment conference in the next twenty one (21) days and will have his formal arraignment in no later than fifty (50) days.
The indictment was presented by Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Heidi Tannenbaum- Newman. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office considers this matter and the surrounding circumstances to still be an active and open investigation as to all related issues. It should be noted that an indictment is not proof of guilt; it is simply a document to bring the matter formally before the court. Defendant is presumed innocent until he pleads guilty or is found guilty in a court of law.
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