BRICK TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Two women from Brick Township were sentenced to 364 days in the Ocean County Jail on Friday after pleading guilty to charges of animal cruelty and child neglect. Michele Nycz, 60, and Aimee Lonczak, 51, were also given a four-year probationary term and a lifetime ban on owning or working with animals.
The sentencing follows an investigation that began on December 2, 2022, when Brick Township Police responded to an anonymous complaint about a possible puppy mill at a residence on Arrowhead Park Drive. Officers at the scene reported a strong odor and barking coming from the home. Upon entering, they found the residence in an unsanitary condition with crates containing dogs and cats stacked on top of one another.
The situation was so dire that officers had to exit the house and request a Hazmat team. Rescuers in protective gear later removed approximately 129 dogs and 43 cats from the home, along with the bodies of two deceased dogs. Both Nycz and Lonczak, who lived at the residence with Lonczak’s 16-year-old child, were arrested at the scene.
In addition to the animal cruelty charges, Lonczak was sentenced for child neglect related to the living conditions in the home. The sentences for Nycz and Lonczak will run concurrently. As part of their sentencing, Judge Guy P. Ryan also imposed community service requirements that exclude any involvement with animals.
Nycz and Lonczak had entered their guilty pleas before Judge Ryan in late June.
