Ocean County, NJ, women with 170 pets plead guilty to animal cruelty

A pair of women in Ocean County have pleaded guilty to charges in connection to an incident in 2022 where authorities found over 170 animals in their home.

• 60-year-old Michele Nycz of Brick Township pleaded guilty to two counts of animal cruelty

• 51-year-old Aimee Lonczak, also of Brick Township, pleaded guilty to child neglect and two counts of animal cruelty

On December 2, 2022, officers with the Brick Township Police Department were called to a home on Arrowhead Park Drive in reference to an anonymous complaint that the residents there were running a puppy mill.

While speaking with the residents, Lonczak and Nycz, outside, cops detected a strong odor coming from inside the home and heard barking.

Officers were subsequently permitted to enter the residence and immediately detected an intense odor and unsanitary conditions. Additionally, the Officers observed animal crates containing dogs and cats stacked on top of one another

Due to the poor conditions inside, a hazardous materials team was brought to the scene and over the course of ten hours, crews removed nearly 130 dogs, 43 cats, and the bodies of two dead dogs.

Authorities were quoted as saying, "The home was full of animal waste and the animals were living in horrible and inhumane conditions."

• MORE NEWS: Mother Charged with Killing Her 1 and 3-year-old Children: Ocean County Prosecutor

Lonczak and Nycz, who lived at that home with Lonczak’s 16-year-old child, were both taken into custody and then released per state bail reform guidelines.

At the time of their sentencing on August 16th, the State will be seeking 364 days in the Ocean County Jail as a condition of probation as to each defendant, a lifetime ban on owning animals, a ban on working with animals, and community service not involving animals.