ATLANTIC CITY, NJ—The Atlantic City Police Department announced the arrest of 23-year-old Jahlil McNeal following a detailed investigation into multiple animal cruelty incidents.
Officer Matthew Schmidt of the department’s Humane Law Enforcement led the investigation which began on July 15.
The initial incident involved McNeal allegedly abandoning a dog at the Humane Society of Atlantic County after hours, causing injury to the animal. The investigation revealed that the dog was dropped over a fence, landing on its side and was found with missing patches of fur.
Further investigation linked McNeal to a similar case in April where he left three dogs at the same location in a comparable manner. Following these discoveries, McNeal was charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty and related offenses.
McNeal was apprehended on Friday during a traffic stop on Baltic Avenue by Officers Michael Regalbuto and Alex Torres. He faces four counts each of cruelty to animals and failure to provide care, two counts of theft of services, and a charge of witness tampering.
He is currently held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility. The charges against McNeal are accusations, and he is considered innocent until proven guilty.
