TOMS RIVER, NJ – A Beachwood man has filed a lawsuit in Ocean County Superior Court against the Borough of Seaside Heights, its Police Department, and the mayor, alleging discrimination after what he describes as an unlawful arrest involving his service dog.
According to the civil complaint filed by plaintiff Carl Frank Monto, the incident occurred on August 26, 2025, when Monto says he was arrested in Seaside Heights while accompanied by his service dog, named Maverick. The complaint states that Monto, who identifies himself as a disabled person, was “arrested in Seaside Boardwalk” and that “his service dog was removed from [him],” which he alleges constituted discrimination.
Monto is seeking $250,000 in damages from the Borough of Seaside Heights, the Seaside Heights Police Department, the Code Enforcement Office, and Mayor Anthony Vaz, according to the handwritten filing.
He claims his rights were violated under state and federal disability protections when he and his service animal were separated during the arrest.
The filing lists Monto’s address in Beachwood and identifies the borough’s George E. Tompkins Municipal Complex on Grant Avenue in Seaside Heights as the defendants’ location. It was submitted through the Ocean County Civil Division as a pro se complaint, meaning Monto is representing himself.
The case, now docketed in the Law Division’s Civil Part, requests monetary damages for alleged discrimination, emotional distress, and interference with his service dog. No formal response from Seaside Heights or its police department has yet been filed.
