MAYS LANDING, N.J. — A Pleasantville man pleaded guilty Thursday to multiple charges, including animal cruelty, endangering the welfare of a child, and aggravated assault on law enforcement officers, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office announced.
Gabriel Mojica, 36, entered his guilty plea before Judge Bernard DeLury, Jr. and faces a five-year prison sentence when he is sentenced on April 10, 2025.
The charges stem from a September 2022 incident in which Mojica was seen beating a 10-week-old puppy named Scooby with a closed fist in front of his seven-year-old daughter. Witnesses alerted the Atlantic City Police Department, leading to his arrest and subsequent indictment.
While awaiting trial, Mojica was charged in additional cases involving narcotics possession, violating a domestic violence restraining order, and assaulting two Atlantic County Sheriff’s Officers, both of whom sustained injuries.