A Pleasantville man is potentially facing five years in prison on animal cruelty and aggravated assault charges.

Last Thursday, 36-year-old Gabriel Mojica pleaded guilty in connection to several indictments, including animal cruelty, endangering the welfare of a child, and aggravated assaults upon law enforcement officers.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office says Mojica incurred the first of these offenses in September 2022 when he was seen beating a 10-week-old puppy with a closed fist in front of his then seven-year-old daughter.

Pedestrians who saw the abuse take place called Atlantic City police, who then charged him with animal cruelty and endangering the welfare of his child.

Gabriel Mojica of Pleasantville NJ - Photo: Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office / Canva
Gabriel Mojica of Pleasantville NJ - Photo: Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office / Canva
loading...

While those charges were pending, authorities say Mojica incurred additional criminal cases involving possession of narcotics, contempt of a domestic violence restraining order, and aggravated assaults on two Atlantic County Sheriff's Officers.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 10th.

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Gallery Credit: Rachel Cavanaugh

WOOF: These are the most popular dog breeds in America

Stacker highlights the 100 most popular dog breeds in America based on data released March 15, 2023 from the American Kennel Club.

Gallery Credit: Sabienna Bowman

More From Cat Country 107.3