New Jersey

Warrant Issued for Man Suspected of Leaving Caged Dog to Drown in Rising Waters

What to Know

  • Someone left a caged dog at the edge of the water in NJ as the tide was coming in; officials believe it was between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. Monday
  • A good Samaritan saw the dog and climbed over a bulkhead to reach it; prosecutor's say the dog may have died otherwise
  • Anyone with information about the dog is asked to call animal cruelty authorities or the police department in Highlands

Authorities have identified a suspect after a caged pit bull puppy was left to drown at the edge of an intracoastal waterway in New Jersey. 

An arrest warrant has been issued for Aaron Davis, 36, of Long Branch, after a person walking their dog in Veterans Memorial Park in Highlands spotted the pup cowering in the cage on a portion of sand between a bulkhead and the water as the tide came in on Monday morning.

The person climbed over the wall to rescue the dog, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said.

"If not for the heroic rescue act of the good Samaritan, the dog could have potentially drowned," the prosecutor's office said in a statement on Facebook.  

The gray and white pit bull, thought to be about a year old, was taken to the Highlands police station and has been renamed "River."

The woman who rescued him from the water is now hoping to adopt the pup. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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