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These are only some of the horrifying conditions that state officials discovered at one Mansfield man's farm, authorities said.
Carlos Rocha, a 55-year-old farmer, was facing numerous animal cruelty charges stemming from an investigation by the local humane law enforcement officer and New Jersey's Department of Agriculture, Mansfield police said.
Officials took note of the following violations during a Jan. 26 inspection, authorities said:
- Heifers and calves with no access to pasture
- Injured cow and bull not receiving treatment for injuries due to poor living conditions
- Poor body conditions of more than 30 cows and one calf
- Metal objects where cows walk
- Water covering entire barn floor where animals are kept
- Barbed wire fencing on ground where animals walk
- Dead calf among living animals
- Dead chickens among live chickens
- Pigs with no access to water
- Cows with access to only filthy water and no food.
Rocha had previously been warned about the violations but failed to amend them for the next inspection, causing the conditions to worsen, police said.
He was charged two third-degree and two fourth-degree counts of animal cruelty and is scheduled to appear in court.
The department’s Humane Law Enforcement Officer and the NJ Department of Agriculture also assisted with the investigation, police said.
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