Which top returning stat leader will light up the state again in 2018?

Detectives caught Matthew Brutto after they traced a shared folder with the files back to Brutto's home IP address.

Matthew BruttoNew Jersey Attorney General Office 

A Mercer County man who had more than 12,000 files of child pornography available for anyone to download from his computer pleaded guilty to distributing those files in court Thursday.

Matthew Brutto, 32, of Ewing, pleaded guilty to second-degree distributing child pornography through a peer-to-peer network, the New Jersey Attorney General's office announced.

In March 2018, detectives monitoring a file-sharing network popular with child porn offenders located a computer that was sharing child porn. On three different dates that month, detectives downloaded 42 child porn files being shared from that IP address, and traced them to Brutto's home in Ewing.

On April 10, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent and detectives with the attorney general's office Criminal Justice Division, the Ewing Police Department and the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office entered Brutto's home on a search warrant.

They arrested Brutto and seized his electronic devices, which were analyzed at a computer forensics lab in Hamilton, where 12,000 illicit videos and image files were found on one computer hard drive. 

According to his LinkedIn profile, Brutto worked at Best Buy.

"Offenders like Brutto may collect thousands of files of child pornography over an extended period of time, but we want them to know that law enforcement will ultimately catch up with them," said Veronica Allende, director of the Division of Criminal Justice.

Under the plea agreement entered before Mercer County Superior Court Judge Peter Warshaw, prosecutors will ask for Brutto to be sentenced to five years in prison with 2 and 1/2 years of parole ineligibility. He will register as a sex offender and will be subject to parole supervision for life.

Brutto is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 5.

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips 

Carried far and wide by infected mosquitoes, West Nile is easily transmitted to animals, birds and humans.

That rain-filled tire rotting in your backyard is more than an eyesore - it's also a breeding ground for mosquitoes liable to be carrying West Nile virus.

On Aug. 14, a Hunterdon County man tested positive for the ailment, the first human case reported in New Jersey this year. Health officials are investigating two additional suspected cases, one each in Essex and Hudson counties.

Although the number is small, experts in the Garden State are justifiably on edge as more and more mosquitoes test positive for the virus this season. Officials expect the surge to continue in the upcoming weeks.

Carried far and wide by infected mosquitoes, West Nile is easily transmitted to animals, birds and humans.

The majority of people with the virus - eight out of 10, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates - develop no symptoms. Others experience fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash.

Most people recover completely, coping with just fatigue and weakness for a few weeks or months, but about one in 150 can develop a serious illness affecting the central nervous system, such as encephalitis or meningitis.

More mosquitoes in N.J. carry West Nile

Where you live in the state determines in part in how likely you are to be exposed to a virus-laden mosquito.

Health officials say the smallest number of mosquito pools - collections of the insects trapped throughout the state - was identified in Sussex County this year (2 pools), and the largest number (67) in Bergen County.

Mercer County ranked fifth highest with 32 pools. Hunterdon was sixth with 30 pools.

No vaccine exists for West Nile, but experts at the CDC say you can reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes.

They suggest using insect repellent such as DEET, Picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus; wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants while outdoors, and treating boots, pants, tents and other items with an insecticide called permethrin.

The agency also recommends children in clothing that covers their legs and arms, and outfitting strollers, cribs and baby carriers with mosquito netting.

Other tips: use window and door screens with no holes in them, turn on air conditioners as often as possible, and once a week empty buckets, planters, birdbaths or trash containers.

Because mosquitoes begin to breed in any puddle or standing water lasting more than four days, the state Department of Health urges residents to monitor potential breeding sites around the home.

That means cleaning out gutters and drains, getting rid of old tires, draining water from pool covers and flipping over plastic children's pools when you're not using them.

While counties continue to monitor and work to control pest infestations, simple maintenance can go a long way toward cutting your risk until mosquito season comes to an end.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

See the 38 defenders that made the list as N.J.'s best defenders this season.

The 18-month turnaround plan so far includes hiring 220 people, recruiting new executives, and spending $23 million to make the hospitals safer.

Staffing was so low at Ann Klein Forensic Center, New Jersey's psychiatric facility for patients with criminal histories, patients were routinely and unnecessarily locked inside their rooms overnight and for hours during shift changes. 

On his first day on the job in January, State Health Department Commissioner Shereef Elnahal told NJ Advance Media the Mercer County facility was on the verge of losing its national accreditation from The Joint Commission -- the independent stamp of approval verifying a hospital is safe and functioning properly -- if the "lock-ins" didn't stop and other safety risks were not fixed.

On Friday, Elnahal explained how the department averted the crisis at Ann Klein, and detailed a multi-million-dollar 18-month turnaround plan all four publicly funded psychiatric facilities serving 1,453 patients.

The changes include:

• Hiring 220 new employees, including about 90 at Ann Klein to end the reliance on lockdowns, and 37 at Greystone
• Appointing Tomika Carter, formerly of Bellevue Hospital in New York, as CEO at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Parsippany, the most populated of the four facilities where overcrowding and assaults escalated a year ago
• Reducing the patient population at all facilities by 57 people from January to July
• Committing $23 million to capital improvement projects to improve building safety

Christie spends $740K to audit psychiatric hospitals after safety complaints

"As any hospital CEO will tell you, it takes time to improve the quality and safety of care in hospitals," said Elnahal, who worked U.S. Veteran's Administration hospitals during the Obama administration. "Nevertheless, we are laser focused on achieving sustainable improvements for patients and family members."

The state's strategy is guided in part by a consultant's report, also released Friday, which described how the hospitals have deteriorated due to financial neglect, stifling bureaucracy and a lack of focus on treatment.

"There is a palpable sense of futility that permeates all the institutions that is not compatible with a culture of recovery, hopefulness or empowerment for patients," according to an executive summary of the report by New Solutions, Inc. of New Brunswick. "Nor does this this culture of futility offer a rewarding working environment for staff or management."

Gov. Chris Christie spent $740,500 to hire New Solutions in the final days of his administration in response to months of criticism from Greystone's board of trustees and news coverage about the hospital's dwindling medical and executive staff, overcrowding and escalating violent episodes.

Christie also fired the entire volunteer board which brought the hospital's problems to light.

New Solutions identified a problem with the lack of interaction between patients and psychiatrists, noting, "acute patients are only seen weekly and chronic patients seen monthly." 

The relationships between nurses and patients are nearly as remote, the consultant's report said.

"With few exceptions, there was no evidence that nursing staff had working relationships with patients or that they knew that this was important," the report said.

According to the health department's "action plan," also released on Friday, New Solutions "present a picture of a hospital system that has been under-resourced, understaffed, and otherwise afflicted with a culture that has not prioritized the system's role in achieving patient-centered clinical care delivery." 

Led by Deputy Commissioner Deborah Hartel, a 37-year hospital administrator appointed in April, and Assistant Commissioner Valerie Mielke, the commissioner said the department will operate the institutions like a regional hospital network. They will share treatment strategies and create policies to more effectively manage the workforce of nearly 5,000. 

Elnahal said recruiting and retaining staff has been and remains a challenge, in part because state government often cannot compete with private-sector salaries and the civil-service structure of hiring is a slow process.

"Our goal is to create a hospital system with a culture of care that is top-notch a mission that is appealing," he said.

Progress is evident already, state health officials.

At Greystone, the patient census is 486, 62 fewer patients than last August. Across all hospitals, there was an 11 percent decline in patient assaults in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the first quarter of 2017. The department did not make aggregate numbers available.

Hartel said recruitment efforts are paying off to hire psychiatrists and top medical executives at Greystone and Ancora Psychiatric Hospital in Winslow Township, Hartel said. Additionally, there are 10 nursing hires "in the queue."

Sen Richard Codey, D-Essex, who has made improving the psychiatric hospitals a focus of his 36-year political career, said he was briefed on the reports and the Murphy administration's turnaround plan.

"They are headed in the direction in the right direction, and I hope they don't stop," Codey said.

The four institutions are Greystone, Ancora, Ann Klein Forensic Center, which is on the campus of Trenton Psychiatric Hospital located in Ewing and Trenton.

All 21 counties of New Jersey and 16 other states are represented in TCNJ's incoming freshman class

The College of New Jersey welcomed 1,576 new students to its Ewing campus on Thursday. 

The new freshman class includes students from all 21 counties of New Jersey, as well as 16 other states, college spokesman Luke Sacks said. 

Despite all 21 counties being represented, 55 percent of students say they prefer the term "pork roll" over "Taylor ham," the freshmen said in a survey, the college said.

Among TCNJ's newest students are a national Pokemon champion, a competitive sewer, a Junior Olympic swimmer and member of the Screen Actors Guild.

Nearly a fifth of the class were captains of varsity sports in high school at some point -- there are 521 of them in the 1,576-member class. Another 359 students were club presidents. 

There are also 335 legacy students, whose relatives have previously attended TCNJ.  And the tech-savvy new class doesn't seem to use Facebook as much as previous classes might have.

Instagram is the leading social media for the Class of 2022, with 81 percent of students saying it's their preferred social media outlet, followed by Twitter with 14 percent. Only 5 percent said Facebook was their favorite. 

Move-in day for first-year and transfer students is followed by the college's traditional welcome week, which includes entertainment, picnics, seminars and the talent show "TCNJ Idol." 

Gianluca D'Elia may be reached at gdelia@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @gianluca_delia. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

At least eight phony reports were received by Mercer County dispatchers.

Someone is harassing Mercer County dispatchers and emergency responders with phony reports of shootings, fires and kids in jeopardy, officials reported on Friday.

Mercer County Central Communications, which handles 911 calls for local towns, notified county prosecutors that it received eight "swatting" calls over a period of two or three days.

Swatting refers to the practice of calling in a bogus emergency that draws a heavy response from police, fire and EMS services.

The phony Mercer County reports, all targeting the Trenton and Hamilton areas, described emergencies including shots fired near a school, "smoke reported," "pediatric emergency," "unconscious child" and "cardiac arrest of a child," officials said.

Alleged bank robber faces charge after giving false name

None of these were standard 9-1-1 calls, but used Text911 and calls to local police departments. Perpetrators often use tactics, such as spoofing, in which the caller's contact information is altered, to hide their tracks, authorities noted.

County officials warned of the dangers posed by these stunts.

"False alarms potentially divert emergency responders away from legitimate emergencies, which could ultimately lead to loss of life," County Executive Brian M. Hughes said in a statement.

Hughes noted that swatting can be prosecuted through federal crime statutes.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips.

55 new officers trained for 22 weeks at the Mercer County Police Academy. Watch video

55 recruits from the Mercer County Police Academy Class #19-18 became officers of the law Friday in a ceremony at Mercer County Community College.

Officers are from many different departments, mainly from the central region of the state, including municipal police departments, sheriff's offices, campus police from Rutgers University and The College of New Jersey, New Jersey State Park Police and officers attending the academy through alternate route programs.

Trenton Police Department had the most graduates at 16. The department has a new Director, Pedro Medina, who took over from former Director Ernie Perry when Reed Gusciora became the city's new mayor.

Mercer County Police Academy Director Martin Masseroni told the graduates, "You have made it through this regimented program ... now it is up to you to exercise self-discipline both in your personal life and your police career."

Class Speaker was Elias Vendrell, who will be joining the Trenton Police Department. In his remarks, he said, "This is a career that can change lives, not only for you, but for the lives of others."

Addressing those who have been his classmates for the past 22 weeks, he advised, "Work hard. Do good work." 

Michael Mancuso may be reached at mmancuso@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @michaelmancuso, Instagram @michaelmancuso and Facebook @michaelmancuso

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A Hamilton-based dermatologist was arrested and charged Thursday after he said he had a bomb in a box while visiting a doctor's office in Pennsylvania, police said.

A Hamilton-based dermatologist was arrested and charged Thursday after he allegedly said he had a bomb in a box while visiting a doctor's office in Pennsylvania, police said.

Daniel S. Kessel

Daniel S. Kessel, 61, of Lower Makefield, Pennsylvania, was charged with threat to use weapons of mass destruction and terroristic threats following the incident, according to a release from the Northampton Police. Kessel is a doctor at Kessel Dermatology in Hamilton.

Police closed down the area around the doctor's office in Northampton Township in Bucks County and evacuated surrounding businesses, police said. Kessel was later arrested outside the office.

A bomb squad was called to the scene and checked the box and found no explosives, officials said.

Kessel told police that he was dropping off a box of syringes at the office and only said he had a bomb because he felt he was waiting too long to see the doctor, whom he knew, the Bucks County Courier Times reported.

However, police said the receptionist did the correct thing by dialing 9-1-1 after saying he had a bomb, the report said.

Kessel's attorney, Matthew T. Newcomer, told the Bucks County Courier Times that the situation was "an unfortunate miscommunication with a colleague's staff."

"Dr. Kessel is working to resolve this matter," Newcomer told the Times. "His medical practice will continue without interruption."

The newspaper reported Kessel was released on Friday on $75,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday, according to the Times. 

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook.

City hit the woodwork three times, had a stonewall penalty denied, and saw Wolves' keeper Rui Patricio make two top drawer saves.

After 90-plus minutes of play at the Molineux, Manchester City looked much like the rampant side that has ripped apart the Premier League since the beginning of last season.

But when the whistle blew to end the contest, City had dropped points on the road for the first time since February 3, and Wolves had a big point that will confirm their status as a potential top-10 team.

In the 10 a.m. EDT kickoffs, Arsenal and West Ham played an open match, with Jack Wilshere on the pitch for the first time in his career in a kit other than one of the Gunners.

Finally, Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion contested the late kickoff, with the Seagulls looking to build on their home win last weekend over Manchester United.

SATURDAY RESULTS

Wolverhampton 1-1 Man. City

Bournemouth 2-2 Everton

Arsenal 3-1 West Ham

Huddersfield 0-0 Cardiff City

Southampton 1-2 Leicester

Liverpool 1-0 Brighton

SATURDAY'S THREE STARS

Willy Boly, Wolverhampton

He was offside, and it was a handball, but none of that mattered after the draw with Manchester City. Boly scored the Wolves' goal, and was the Whoscored.com Man of the Match with a 7.91 rating.

Harry Maguire, Leicester City

A 91st minute winner from the center back gave the Foxes a late 2-1 win over Southampton. He was the Whoscored.com Man of the Match with an 8.02 rating.

Nacho Monreal, Arsenal

After the Gunners fell behind, Monreal's goal had Arsenal level within five minutes, on the way to a second half barrage. He rated out at a 7.5 on Whoscored.com.

Premier League Sunday: Manchester clubs going in different directions

RED CARDS GALORE IN THE 10 A.M. MATCHES SATURDAY

There were three straight red cards in one game Saturday, plus a third for two yellows. Everton's Richarlison (violent conduct) and Bournemouth's Adam Smith (denial of a goal-scoring opportunity) each saw red in the same match, which was the most entertaining of the day.

Huddersfield Town's Jonathan Hogg was sent off for violent conduct as the Terriers were held at home to scoreless draw with Cardiff City.

All three red cards come with three-match bans.

Finally, Southampton's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg received two yellow cards (the second for diving) and will miss the next game for the Saints.

MANCHESTER CITY WEEKLY PREMIER LEAGUE UNBEATEN WATCH

Did City lose Saturday?

No, but the Citizens did not win, either.

Manchester City drew 1-1 with newly-promoted Wolverhampton, although the draw was as unlucky a result as there has been this season.

City hit the woodwork three times, had a stonewall penalty denied, and saw Wolves' keeper Rui Patricio make two top drawer saves. But Pep Guardiola will feel most aggrieved watching a replay of Wolverhampton's goal, which went in off the arm of an offside Willy Boly.

But the unbeaten run continues for the Citizens, who should roll through the next five fixtures.

SUNDAY SCHEDULE

Watford vs. Crystal Palace, 8:30 a.m. EDT (NBC Sports and Fubo.tv)

Fulham vs. Burnley, 8:30 a.m. EDT ((NBC Gold)

Newcastle vs. Chelsea, 11 a.m. EDT (NBC Sports and Fubo.tv)

MONDAY SCHEDULE

Manchester United vs. Tottenham, 3 p.m. EDT (NBC Sports and Fubo.tv)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR SUNDAY

The most intriguing match of the three will see Watford host Crystal Palace. The Hornets have a chance to start the campaign with three wins from three.

There is also the feud between Palace manager Roy Hodgson and Watford mascot Harry the Hornet, which stretches back to Boxing Day of 2016. The mascot mocked Eagles' winger Wilfried Zaha, who was given a yellow card for simulation in the 1-1 draw December 26, 2016.

Hodgson gave these quotes in his pre-match press conference:

"If you're asking me whether Harry the Hornet, who I presume is the mascot, should dive in that way, I think it's disgraceful, because that's not what football matches are about.

"And certainly if it's provoking the crowd into looking for something that's not there, it should be stopped."

With so much at stake, can the Hornets sting Palace, or will the Eagles soar to their second win in three?

Premier League table

Contact Sean Miller at seanmillertrentontimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheProdigalSean His weekly podcast, Box to Box Football, can be found on iTunes here https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/box-to-box-football/id1208561351?mt=2

Four other shootings occured in the city Friday night and early Saturday morning according to Trenton police.

A 21-year-old man was killed and three others were wounded in separate shootings overnight in Trenton, according to police. 

Jakim Allen died around 1:30 p.m. at Capital Health Regional Medical Center after undergoing emergency surgery for multiple gunshot wounds to his chest, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office and Trenton Lt. Steven Varn.

Allen was on Brunswick Avenue near Southard Street shortly after 1 a.m., authorities said.

The same hospital also saw at least three other shooting victims between Friday night and Saturday morning, Varn said.

A 36-year-old man was struck in the shoulder at approximately 6:56 p.m. Friday near Stuyvesant and Hoffman streets, and a 27-year-old male was also struck in the shoulder and back near the 200 block of Chambers Street, Varn said.

Around midnight, while detectives were at the hospital for the other shooting victims, a 22-year-old male ran into the hospital with gunshot wound. He had been grazed in the leg after getting caught in crossfire at Nassau and Miller streets, police said. 

The man with the graze wound was treated and released, police said.

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Dogs and cats throughout New Jersey await adoption at shelters and rescues.

Holmdel volunteer wins international award in dog photography competition

The Kennel Club in London recently announced the winners of its annual Dog Photographer of the Year competition with Sonya Kolb of Holmdel selected as the winner of the competition's 'Rescue Dog' category.

Courtesy of Sonya Kolb 

The award comes with a PS500 prize for the charity of the winner's choice. Kolb has chosen to donate the money to the Monmouth County SPCA where she has been taking photos for seven years.

The dog in Kolb's winning photograph is rescue dog Cooper, whose family adopted him after their first rescue dog tragically died before they had even brought him home.

"I am extremely grateful to have won the Rescue category in the Dog Photographer of the Year competition," said Kolb. "I can remember every second of this photo shoot as if it were yesterday. This image reveals what is so important in life - our emotional connections with others. Dogs fulfill our deepest emotional needs, giving us so freely an abundance of love, comfort and joy. I love creating images that spread happiness and connect us heart to heart, hand to paw, with our most positive emotions."

Monica van der Maden from the Netherlands was chosen overall winner of the competition with an image of Noa the Great Dane which placed first in the 'Oldies' category. The other first place category winners were:

• Elinor Roizman, Israel, 'Dogs at Play';
• Klaus Dyber, Germany, 'Puppy';
• Carol Durrant, the UK, 'Portrait';
• Tracy Kidd, the UK, 'Dogs at Work';
• Joana Matos, Portugal, 'Man's Best Friend';
• Dean Mortimer, the UK, 'Assistance Dogs';
• Tamara Kedves, Hungary, 'I Love Dogs Because...;
• Mariah Mobley (age 11), United States, 'Young Pup Photographer'

All of the winning images plus the photos that placed second and third for each category will be on display at the Kennel Club in London from through Oct. 5. To view all the winning images, go to dogphotographeroftheyear.org.uk.

Greg Hatala may be reached at greghatalagalleries@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.

Five years after Princeton Borough and Princeton Township officially tied the knot residents are celebrating the impressive $3.9 million in gross savings the move produced.

Home rule is the closest New Jersey residents come to an Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not merge.

Municipal consolidation has long been the third rail of politics. Just the mention of erasing borders to provide more efficient and possibly cheaper services would get an elected official booed off the stage.

Until Princeton.

Five years after Princeton Borough and Princeton Township officially tied the knot and became simply Princeton, residents are booing no longer.

Rather, they're celebrating the impressive $3.9 million in gross savings the move produced in the past half-decade, while also enjoying such perks as better road plowing and speedier police presence at emergencies.

Moreover, residents in the new municipal entity have seen the rate of growth in their property-tax bills go down since the 2013 merger - and you're not likely to find anyone griping about that trend.

Merging 191 of N.J.'s smallest towns? It's on the table.

Data provided by state and local officials showed that while bills rose about 20 percent cumulatively in both the borough and the township before the move, they crept down to just a tad over 10 percent in the ensuing years.

A long and winding road led up to the marriage: six decades and three tries at referenda that ultimately failed.

As is the case in most corners of the state, residents were wed to their own municipal administrations, their own school districts, their own police and fire departments.

They feared, reasonably, that giving up control of their public works department and sanitation services, among other amenities, would lead to disaster.

But in the right hands - in this case, those belonging to former Township Mayor Chad Goerner and Liz Lempert, then-Township Committee member and now mayor of Princeton - the consolidation ultimately went through, creating a municipality covering 18 square miles and housing more than 28,000 residents within its expanded borders.

No one said it would be easy, and it wasn't.

Members of a task force studying the proposed move endured some 160 meetings to thrash out hard issues such as trash collection and staffing needs. Proponents knew they needed to sell the idea to skeptical shareholders, so they worked to craft a ballot question which found support in both communities.

For Goerner, the takeaway couldn't be clearer.

The veteran politician is convinced that mergers such as this one bode well in terms of long-term savings and a more responsive local government.

"The fact is that consolidation has worked and we need to stop being afraid of it," Goerner said. "It is no longer a mythical unicorn in dealing with inefficient home rule."

Consolidation isn't a magic elixir. It's not a one-size-fits-all corrective for all the ills in all the state's 565 different municipalities.

But with Princeton we at last have a template to help planners and policy-makers who dare to think beyond their communities' borders.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

Police have not yet released the name of the deceased.

A motorcyclist was killed early Monday morning while trying to cross Route 1 in Lawrence Township, police said. 

Police responded to the scene of the crash at the intersection of Route 1 and Franklin Corner Road at 12:21 a.m. Monday, Lawrence police said.

The motorcyclist was crossing the highway from Bakers Basin Road to Franklin Corner Road when he was struck by a Volkswagen Jetta that was traveling south on Route 1.

The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency personnel. His identity has not yet been released, police said, as they have not yet notified his next-of-kin. 

No charges against the driver of the Jetta, a 35-year-old man from Hamilton Township, have been filed, police said. 

The crash is under investigation by Lawrence Police and the Mercer County Serious Collision Unit. 

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. 

A complete list of the 36 New Jersey girls soccer players named to the watchlist for the 2018 High School All-American Game

Officers found a 500-pound hog roaming in a nearby neighborhood during the investigation

A Pennsylvania man was arrested and charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty after investigators found dead and live farm animals covered in feces across his Hamilton Township property. 

Henry Guzikowski Jr., 54, of Yardley, Pa. who owns the 14-acre farm on Uncle Pete's Road in Hamilton faces third- and fourth-degree animal cruelty charges, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office announced Monday. 

Henry Guzikowski Jr. (Mercer County Prosecutor's Office) 

Members of Mercer County's new Humane Law Enforcement Unit began investigating the property after receiving numerous complaints from residents about the farm. 

During a search warrant investigation of the property earlier this month, detectives found 38 runner ducks in one coop, two of which were deceased. The ducks were covered in about six inches of feces, the prosecutor's office said. 

Detectives also found 12 chickens -- five of which were dead --  inside of the property. In a chicken coop outside, detectives found 54 chickens, "all appeared to be infected with disease and one had severe growths on its feet," the prosecutor's office said. 

Nine pigs covered in feces were also discovered in a garage-like structure on the property. 

During the investigation, Hamilton Township's Animal Control unit received calls that a 500-pound hog from the property was free and roaming a nearby neighborhood. HLEU, Hamilton Animal Control and township Public Works employees lured the hog back to the property with food. 

During their investigation, authorities discovered that the house on the property has a Mercer County historic preservation easement which required Guzikowski to maintain and preserve the property's historic character. 

In the statement, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri thanked all the agencies that assisted in the investigation.

"Thanks to the extraordinary effort of these employees, we were able to secure all of the live animals in makeshift pens and provide them with food, water and shelter," he said. "Workers constructed pens on site and have been taking care of the animals for a week."

Homes are still needed for many of the rescued animals. Anyone interested in fostering or adopting should contact Sgt. Eric Hastings of the prosecutor's Humane Law Enforcement Unit at ehastings@mercercounty.org or 609-989-6063.

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. 

Ganesh Gudar, 46, both works and lives at the group home in Monroe Township, the prosecutor's office said.

A caregiver at a group home in Monroe has been charged with sexually touching a woman in his care.

Ganesh Gudar 

Ganesh Gudar, 46, was arrested Aug. 24 and charged with fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey announced Monday.

Gudar works and lives at the group home, which the prosecutor's office did not further identify.

Investigators believe the incident with a 62-year-old female resident occurred Aug. 21.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Monroe Police Sgt. Keith Saloom at 732-521-0222 ext. 178 or prosecutor's office Detective Allie Bitterman at 732-745-4401.

Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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A man who was caught shoplifting from a Pennsylvania Walmart was sentenced Monday after he left his dying 2-year-old son lying in the road following a crash that sent his son flying from his SUV while he fled the scene.

A shoplifter who left his son to die by the side of the road after he crashed his Jeep while fleeing Walmart store security received up to three decades in prison Monday.

Christopher D. Kuhn, 28, of Hamilton, N.J., was sentenced to eight-and-a-half to 30 years in state prison in connection with the Oct. 3, 2017 death of his 2-year-old son, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office wrote on Crimewatch Pennsylvania.

Christopher D. Kuhn 

Kuhn was found guilty in March of murder, homicide by vehicle, endangering the welfare of a child, driving under the influence and several other offenses.

Kuhn tried to a leave a Levittown, Pennsylvania, Walmart with a $228 Vizio sound bar and ignored a security guard's instructions to stop, the district attorney said. 

He took his son, Qadan Trievel, out of the shopping cart and fled the store, putting him into a gold 2007 Jeep without strapping him into a car seat, officials said.

Kuhn then placed his sweatshirt over the Jeep's rear license plate and sped away on Route 13, blowing through a red light. The Jeep was struck by another SUV near the intersection with Levittown Parkway. The Jeep rolled and partially landed on another car. 

The crash sent Trievel flying from the car. Kuhn paused before running from the scene, officials said. Trievel was found pale, motionless and not breathing by EMTs and was brought to Lower Bucks Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy showed that his skull was fractured from ear to ear.

When the officers found Kuhn, he was sitting alone close to the crash scene while he hugged his knees with his arms, according to court testimony.

His prior criminal record included a shoplifting charge and a terroristic threats conviction for pleaded guilty to threatening Qadan's mother, Mackenzy Trievel. He was sentenced to three years probation in 2016 for that crime.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook.

It's unlikely, though, that James Zola will be freed from prison

A man who's been imprisoned for over 30 years for the torturous kidnapping and murder of a widowed Hamilton woman is headed back to court for a new sentence.

A state appeals court on Monday found merit with one of James Zola's arguments - that his 1990 resentencing (he'd been on death row) did not include a pre-sentence investigation report, or PSI, so he's getting one now.

James Zola, prison photo 

And then he'll again be resentenced.

It's unlikely his life term - plus some extra years - will significantly change, though, since the appeals court did not address Zola's guilt in the killing of 75-year-old Barbara Berrisford in 1983.

Zola's resentencing 28 years ago also had some likely technical errors, the appeals court said, in the way his consecutive kidnapping and robbery sentences relate to the life sentence for murder, and how his parole eligibility is computed.

"In resentencing defendant, the judge shall have the opportunity to address this anomaly," the court said.

Zola was a maintenance employee at the garden apartment where Berrisford lived, and she'd complained to management about his poor work installing a kitchen sink. He was later fired for his shoddiness, prior reports and appeal decisions say.

She was found in January 1983, in her apartment, nearly naked and tied to her bed, bruised, bloodied and strangled, with over half her skin scalded off her body. Zola, then 24, was linked to the crime through fingerprints and evidence at his home, and he was convicted at trial in 1984.

He was sentenced to death, but the state Supreme Court later overturned the sentence only, prompting the 1990 resentencing.

Zola, in this appeal, which dates to a 2011 attempt for post-conviction relief, or PCR, argued many parts of his case, from his guilt and his mental state and medications he's taken over the years, to missing transcripts and his sentence.

The appeals court dismissed all of Zola's arguments except the PSI report, siding with a judge who previously examined the case in the PCR phase.

That judge shot down the missing report argument, finding that while PSI's are required, they were not for sentences of death at the time that Zola was convicted.

The court panel said it was unclear if a PSI report was ever done in 1990, and case law that addresses nonexistent PSI reports has to do with defendants who do not participate in the report's process.

And, notably, the state - the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office in this case - "fails to address this argument in its brief."

So, considering current court rules and iterations, the panel found Zola's argument convincing that a sentence imposed without a PSI report was "illegal."

The prosecutor's office declined to comment on the case Monday.

Zola is now 60 and incarcerated at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton. Before this decision, his parole eligibility was in 2033.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Here's how many heat waves and 90-degree days we've had in New Jersey this summer, in case you forgot how bad it's been.