New Jersey
Man, woman charged after child found in ‘despicable’ NJ home surrounded by over 30 dead foster dogs
A New Jersey duo was arrested on animal cruelty and child endangerment charges after police found a 9-year-old kid living at their squalid home surrounded by dozens of dead foster dogs, according to police.
Investigators believe Brandon Leconey, 32, and Rebeccah Halbach, 35, were accepting money from animal rescue groups to care for the dogs, but instead would cash the checks and allow the animals to starve to death.
The sickening scene at their Evesham Township home was discovered by officers Monday after a witness reported seeing several malnourished and sick pooches around the property, police said.
After speaking with Leconey and Halbach, police found more than 30 dead canines inside of the home, which was in “despicable” condition.
Fourteen dogs were found still alive — nine of which had to be taken to a local animal hospital — as well as a “numerous” cats and rabbits.
One pooch had to be euthanized because it was in such poor health, police said.
Overall, as many as 100 dogs may have died in the home, with more buried on the property.
“There’s dogs in cages. Live dogs in cages, dead dogs in cages. Dead animals throughout the house,” Evesham Township Police Chief Walt Miller told WPVI.
“Behind the home there was also a burial spot where there was a large number of dogs in various levels of decay,” he added.
Living among the nauseating pet cemetery was a 9-year-old child who was removed from the home due to the unhealthy conditions.
The child is in custody of the New Jersey Division of Child Protection & Permanency, police said.
“It’s definitely concerning having a 9-year-old child living in this home, sleeping in this home, eating in this home,” Miller said.
Investigators had to open doors and windows to air out the home and reduce toxic gas levels before it was safe to enter the house, he told the outlet.
The child’s relationship to Leconey and Halbach was unclear.
Officials were tipped off to the home by a North Carolina animal rescue that had grown suspicious that the dogs it had sent to Halbach and Leconey to foster in exchange for payment were not being cared for, police told WPVI.
When a representative from Tender Mercies Pet Organization went to their home to check it out, they immediately called the police.
Tender Mercies said that two of its dogs are now back in its custody.
Leconey was booked at the Burlington County Jail pending a detention hearing. Halbach is undergoing a medical evaluation at a hospital for an unrelated medical condition, police said. She will be jailed once she is cleared for incarceration.
Police are searching the home for additional evidence.
Additionally, animal cruelty charges are expected to be filed once the actual number of dogs is determined.
THE SCOOP
While one half of the New Jersey Devils have departed for Prague, the other group of players will finish up the preseason schedule for the Devils before the opener on Friday.
The roster will be comprised of players on the Utica Comets roster and players on PTOs hoping to earn a contract and the games will be coached by the Utica coaching staff, under the guidance of head coach Kevin Dineeen.
The Rangers will have a lot of their NHL players in the lineup, offering up a big task for the Devils.
New York is however dealing with a couple of injuries, the latest to forward Jimmy Vesey who left practice on Sunday
WHO’S HOT
Devils: There hasn’t been a ton of time for the Utica players to stand out, with the first few games of the preseason having NHL-heavy rosters.
Rangers: Chris Kreider has continued where he left off last season, with five points through this early preseason.
INJURIES
Devils: Pesce (leg), L. Hughes (shoulder)
Rangers: Vesey (unknown)
By Martin Dunn
On July 24, I appeared in front of the NJ Transit Board of Directors to ask questions about the death of a teenager on the tracks near Mays Landing nearly a decade ago. I specifically asked: Is the investigation into the case of 18-year-old Tiffany Valiante still ongoing, or, if it is closed, why has crucial evidence – including personal belongings — not been returned to the family?
The revamped 32-team tournament will be held at 12 venues across the US a year before it hosts the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final will be held in New Jersey, home of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets, world football’s governing body has announced.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced the venue lineup for the revamped tournament on Saturday.
The expanded 32-team tournament, which will feature leading clubs from around the world, will be held around the United States from June 15 to July 13.
A total of 12 venues will be used for the tournament with only two of them on the West Coast – the Rose Bowl in Pasadena near Los Angeles and Lumen Field in Seattle.
The tournament is taking place at the same time as the regional CONCACAF Gold Cup which will be held mainly on the West Coast.
The open-air stadium for the final, which opened in 2010 and has a capacity of 82,500, held the Copa America Centenario final in 2016 when Chile denied Lionel Messi’s Argentina for a second time in a penalty shootout. It will also host the FIFA World Cup 2026 final.
The other venues which will host games are – Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte), TQL Stadium (Cincinnati), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami), GEODIS Park (Nashville), Camping World Stadium (Orlando), Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) and Audi Field (Washington, DC).
Coming to the USA in 2025 🇺🇸#TakeItToTheWorld | #FIFACWC pic.twitter.com/ocAOgy87Fl
— FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) September 28, 2024
The Club World Cup will feature title-winning teams from each of FIFA’s continental confederations.
The draw for the tournament will be held in December, with 30 of the 32 places already secured through the qualification procedure.
Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich are among the 12 European teams who have qualified for the tournament while Argentina’s River Plate and Boca Juniors and Brazil’s Flamengo are among six South American teams.
“This new FIFA competition is the only true example in worldwide club football of real solidarity and inclusivity, allowing the best clubs from Africa, Asia, Central and North America and Oceania to play the powerhouses of Europe and South America in an incredible new World Cup which will impact enormously the growth of club football and talent globally,” Infantino said.
The tournament will be viewed as a key test ahead of the World Cup 2026 and there will be a focus on security issues after crowd problems at July’s Copa America games at the stadiums in Charlotte and Miami.
FIFA has yet to announce any broadcast deals or sponsorship contracts for the tournament and the competition has faced some opposition within the game.
FIFPRO and the European Leagues body filed a joint complaint to the European Commission against FIFA over the introduction of the tournament into the international match calendar.
Opponents of the new tournament have said it adds further congestion to an already crowded schedule and increases the workload of players.
The last version of the Club World Cup featured seven teams in a knockout format and was won by Manchester City who beat Brazil’s Fluminense in the final in Saudi Arabia.
FIFA plans to hold the expanded tournament every four years, although no host has yet been chosen for the 2029 edition.
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