Woman's dog dies in "nightmare" incident,
but "it appears that [cop] acted appropriately"

WOODBRIDGE, NJ -- What began as a quick Sunday night drive to the grocery store with her beloved dog turned into a "nightmare" for a 48-year-old township woman after an altercation with a former Woodbridge police officer who was apparently concerned that she had left her dog unattended in her vehicle.

Before it was over, the woman, Maura Ciardiello, was handcuffed and taken to the Woodbridge Police Department, though she was not charged with a crime. She spent yesterday in pain from the bruises to her arms, a missing tooth and a possibly broken rib, the result, she says, of being grabbed and shoved against her sport-utility vehicle by the man, state Department of Human Services Police Officer Stephen Sexton.

And Rusti, the collie-shepherd mix that Ciardiello and her husband refer to as their daughter, escaped from the vehicle and apparently ran onto Route 1, where she was killed in traffic.

"I still can't believe this happened," Ciardiello said yesterday, sitting in her kitchen and still shaken from the incident. She hadn't slept the night before, she said. She hadn't been able to eat.

Because Sexton, who was fired from the township's police department a decade ago, did not initially present himself as a police officer, Ciardiello said, she feared during the scuffle that she would be raped or carjacked.

Ciardiello said she plans to file a complaint about the incident with authorities today. She and her husband, Robert, said they are planning a lawsuit.

Sexton could not be reached for comment yesterday. A request for a report and information from the Department of Human Services Police Department was not answered yesterday.

Woodbridge Police Chief William Trenery said Sexton had been investigating an animal-cruelty complaint when he called township police for assistance in making an arrest. He said that bringing  

Robert and Maura Ciardiello of Woodbridge display a photo of their dog Rusti, who was hit and killed by a vehicle on Route 1 after Mrs. Ciardiello had a confrontation yesterday with a former Woodbridge policeman.



Maura Ciardiello displays bruises she received during her encounter with former Woodbridge policeman Stephen Sexton, who is now employed by the state Department of Human Services.

Ciardiello to the Woodbridge police station reflected standard police procedure of transporting someone who had been arrested to the nearest police station.

But Trenery said he did not know if the state Human Services Department had filed any charges against Ciardiello.

A report on the incident by Woodbridge police was incomplete yesterday, Capt. Charles Rowinski said. He said Ciardiello had not been charged with a crime by township police, and he confirmed that Sexton had previously worked on the Woodbridge police force.

Sexton was fired from the department in 1995 after a locker-room skirmish in which he attempted to arrest a superior officer. Then a 22-year veteran officer, Sexton appealed his firing to the state Superior Court's Appellate Division, but his termination was upheld by a series of court rulings.

Speaking through tears in her home yesterday, Ciardiello said she only took Rusti on the shopping errand because she needed just a few items for dinner and knew it would be a quick trip. She purposely parked close to the store so she could see if anything happened to Rusti, she said.

While in line to buy the ravioli, bread and sodas she planned to serve, Ciardiello said she saw Sexton standing against her SUV, his arms folded across his chest.

He was still there when she got to her vehicle, she said. When she opened the back door to load her groceries, Ciardiello said, Sexton asked her if it was her car and her dog; she said yes.

He told her she should not have left her dog in the car, and put his hand in the open back of the car as if to see the temperature inside, she said.

At some point, he must have opened a side door, Ciardiello said, because as she loaded her groceries, Rusti appeared at her feet.

Nervous, she got the dog back in the SUV and made her way to the driver's seat. At that point, she said, Sexton flipped out what appeared to be a wallet, showing something silver but unidentifiable to her, and saying that he was a state police officer. Ciardiello said she told him she didn't do anything wrong and got into her SUV, moving her hand toward the button that locked the doors.

Before she could lock the vehicle, Sexton reached toward her and pulled her out of the driver's seat, Ciardiello said. He pushed her against the side of the SUV, she said.

She screamed. Several people stood nearby, she said, but no one stopped him.

"I kept saying, "Help me, help me, I don't know this man,' " she said.

Ciardiello said she didn't believe he was a police officer; she said she thought he was going to attack her. There was a van parked next to her vehicle, she said, and she believed she would end up in it.

Instead, Woodbridge police, who Sexton had apparently called, arrived at the scene. Ciardiello said she was handcuffed and taken into a police car, but never read her rights or placed under arrest. She was taken to the police station, where she answered questions and cried hysterically, handcuffed, she said.

Ciardiello said police told her Rusti was being taken care of by animal-control officers. But as her husband would learn later, while she was being taken by ambulance to a hospital after she was released from the police station, Rusti had not survived the night.

Robert Ciardiello said a police officer told him there was more bad news for them: Their dog was dead.

The incident seemed a surreal twist for the Ciardiellos, who had recently moved from Staten Island, N.Y., to their "dream house" in Woodbridge.

"My dog is dead, my wife's been traumatized, and I'm selling my house soon," Robert Ciardiello said, adding that he no longer feels safe in the township.

Rusti, the beloved creature they adopted from a shelter after she had been abused by past owners, peered at them yesterday from the photograph bearing the caption "Our girl."

"Our dog is our baby," Robert Ciardiello said.

"Was," Maura corrected him.

Robert nodded.

"Was," he said

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WTF?
Is he now a mall-ninja or a Leo?

Why was he there, why did he beat her up, and why wasn't he charged?

Or did I miss something?

Too bad she didn't have a CCW for his power mad ass.

Criminy!

Who wrote that story?

They need to go back to remedial journalism class!

Who, what, where, when, why and how!!!

DHS is going to pay money on this one.  Guy already got fired as a police officer for being a screw-up.

BOOM......BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. Shame on the responding police officers also. Should have arrested the nutjob pretending to be a cop. I can certainly believe the asswipe worked for DHS as most of the workers are rejects from real jobs. Shame on anyone else around also, what no real MEN in that area?

And, I wish she had a BIG MEAN SOB dog instead so when it got out it would have eaten Mr. no longer cops butt for supper. I wonder if flashing his shiny thing would have worked for that scenario?

Quoted: Criminy! Who wrote that story? They need to go back to remedial journalism class! Who, what, where, when, why and how!!!

Yep.

Unbelievable. Sounds like a Leslie Neilson manuever from Naked Gun.

Quoted: Sexton was fired from the department in 1995 after a locker-room skirmish in which he attempted to arrest a superior officer. Then a 22-year veteran officer, Sexton appealed his firing to the state Superior Court's Appellate Division, but his termination was upheld by a series of court rulings.

 I don't know about the woman.  I mean, she may be a cook as well.  But the ex-officer definitely seems to be one.  Although I have a hard time believing anything written by a reporter anymore.

Identified himself as a state police officer...I guess this was gonna be another WACO so he acted swiftly on behalf of the children, I mean...dog.
My tax $$$$'z at wurk...again.

too bad she did not have a defensive handgun she could have been no-billed. And the powermad ass would not be bothering anyone. Anymore.

Why would another agency hire a fired leo?

The lady is a nut - a dog as "our daughter?"
The cop mall ninja is a bigger nut - attempting to arrest a lady for leaving her dog in the car?
Shit, the guy is from human services - the state is here to help

Quoted: Why would another agency hire a fired leo?

Happens all the time.  One of our local town police was fired about 9 months ago after he finally verbally abused a crime victim with connections on the Police Commissioners Board (his previous victims were not important enough for the PD to fire him) and he was recently hired by the largest sheriff's department in the state in the next town over.  

They don't have to pay to send them through the police academy, so they're given preference over new potential recruits with a clean record.

Just another example of the blue wall protecting its own at work.

And Johninaustin or whoever, here's a preemptive fuck you.  I'll happily post his name, former agency, and current agency if you want to call bullshit on me.  

is  state Human Services Department  a law enforcement office? i never heard of one of those. can they arrest people? is there a law that says you can not leave a dog in a car?
i understand its a stupid idea for any length of time in hot weather but by who's athouiry did this guy  even aproach this lady??

Did he say he worked for the Department of Inhumaned Services.. A division of the State Policia.

No wonder she thought she was going to be raped.

CLASSIC,,,,,,loser with badge story.  He had a 3inch dick,got fired from real job, wife left him so he browbeat abd attacked a lady to make himself feel like a man.  I feel safer with him protecting me from  whatever the hell social services needs cops to hunt.

Pretty typical for New Jersey!   I have lifelong friends that live in the PRNJ and they tell me that this is the way things work in their state.  If you are an ordinary citizen you are treated as a "subject" or worse by members of state and local government.  Local and state government employees know what’s best for you because you are too stupid to think for yourself.  Either do as they say or they will screw with you until you conform to their wishes.  They will also cover for each other and lie like a rug if they think it will protect another employee.  My bet is that this will just disappear unless someone has enough balls or a large enough checkbook to take them to court.  

Sounds like one of these prison correction officer losers who thinks he's a real cop off-duty.  

At least he got the dog killed.  Wonder why he didn't set her SUV on fire?

Quoted: The only thing worse than the inept writing of this article is the assinine comprehension abilities of some of those who've read it and posted.

Asinine.
If you're going to be a Nazi, you should at least spell everything correctly.

www.twp.woodbridge.nj.us/departments_health.html

Send them a nice letter.
Use the word "FUCK" if you can.

Quoted: Is he now a mall-ninja or a Leo?

"...Stephen Sexton, who is now employed by the state Department of Human Services.

Ciardiello to the Woodbridge police station reflected standard police procedure of transporting someone who had been arrested to the nearest police station."

It apears he is a state animal control agency with arrest powers. Like on that "cops" ttype show on animpal planet with the armed SPCA officers.

Why was he there, why did he beat her up, and why wasn't he charged?

Aparently invistigating animal cruelty, and she resisted arrest.

Quoted: ...by who's athouiry did this guy  even aproach this lady??

"Stephen Sexton, who is now employed by the state Department of Human Services."

Quoted: ...and why wasn't he charged?

Gosh, I wonder why he wasn't arrested...

Quoted: Quoted: ...by who's athouiry did this guy  even aproach this lady?? "Stephen Sexton, who is now employed by the state Department of Human Services."

maybe you did not read my whole post. what the fuck does human services do?? what does a canine in a car have to do with human services

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: ...by who's athouiry did this guy  even aproach this lady?? "Stephen Sexton, who is now employed by the state Department of Human Services." maybe you did not read my whole post. what the fuck does human services do?? what does a canine in a car have to do with human services

Apparently in that state they investigate animal cruelty allegations...

Quoted: Quoted: ...by who's athouiry did this guy  even aproach this lady?? "Stephen Sexton, who is now employed by the state Department of Human Services."

Wow the blue wall went up quick to defend that scumbag X cop.
The Department of Human Services in NJ has NO arrest powers.
And It should have been animal cruelty officers or the police investigating, I have a call into a friend in that dept, he's on mid nights this week and when he gets in I'll see if I can get the story behind this story.

I believe this x cop low life MFer was looking for trouble and he saw this car with the dog and waited for the woman to come out and HE escalated the whole thing!.

   

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: ...by who's athouiry did this guy  even aproach this lady?? "Stephen Sexton, who is now employed by the state Department of Human Services." maybe you did not read my whole post. what the fuck does human services do?? what does a canine in a car have to do with human services Apparently in that state they investigate animal cruelty allegations...

No they don't !

I stand self corrected about the powers this nut x cop has.

www.nytimes.com/2005/08/24/nyregion/24dog.html

The dispute unfolded on Sunday evening when Stephen Sexton, a police officer for the New Jersey Department of Human Services, spotted the dog, named Rusti, in the locked car next to his as he was loading groceries in the parking lot of a shopping center.

Officer Sexton, 56, who was off duty at the time, works for the Division of Youth and Family Services, whose officers carry guns and have the same responsibilities as state troopers, said a Human Services spokesman, Ed Rogan.

Officer Sexton worked for the Woodbridge Police Department for 22 years but was fired in 1995 after he tried to arrest a superior officer after a locker room scuffle, according to The Home News Tribune, which also first reported the parking lot altercation.

Mr. Rogan said Officer Sexton told investigators that a front window of Ms. Ciardiello's car was open about an inch but the dog looked to be in distress.(bullshit!) He said that he called the Woodbridge police for assistance.

When Ms. Ciardiello returned to the car about 10 minutes later, Officer Sexton said, he identified himself as a police officer. He said that he then asked for Ms. Ciardiello's license and registration, but that she refused and tried to leave.

Officer Sexton then removed the keys from the ignition, grabbed Ms. Ciardiello's wrist and pulled her from the car, Mr. Rogan said.

The Woodbridge police arrived and placed Ms. Ciardiello under arrest. They took her to police headquarters, where they interviewed her but did not file charges.
But Rusti, the 4-year-old collie-shepherd mix whom Ms. Ciardiello and her husband adopted and named for her dead brother, ran from the car and was struck by a vehicle and killed on nearby Route 1 a short time later.

Mr. Bate said his client suffered bruised ribs and a broken tooth when she was pulled from the car and that she planned to file lawsuits against both the Department of Human Services and the Woodbridge police.

Mr. Rogan said Officer Sexton remained at his job, which pays $60,323 a year. Mr. Rogan added that an investigation was continuing, but that "it appears that he acted appropriately." Mr. Rogan said that human services had no qualms about Officer Sexton's background when they hired him in 1998.

Officer Sexton could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. (wow what a surprise!)
In a telephone interview, Ms. Ciardiello, choking back tears, said she and her husband, Robert, had treated Rusti like one of their children.

"Rusti was such a good dog, she wouldn't hurt anyone, she was our life, our baby, our girl," Ms. Ciardiello said. "Now she is dead and we'll never get another dog like her."

I certainly hope the lady finds a rabid lawyer to go canine on that "cops" ass.

Sounds like this shitbag excuse for a cop need to be fired for the second and final time

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: ...by who's athouiry did this guy  even aproach this lady?? "Stephen Sexton, who is now employed by the state Department of Human Services." maybe you did not read my whole post. what the fuck does human services do?? what does a canine in a car have to do with human services Apparently in that state they investigate animal cruelty allegations...

Didn't know a canine's welfare was under the jurisdiction of NJ Dept of Human Services.

Sounds like your basic small penis syndrome type of situation.  Happens every day.  I'm surprised he didn't shoot the dog.

Man,  Just like I said.  In PRNJ the state knows whats best.. You step out of line and they will screw you over, and then the bastards will cover for each other.  What else can you expect it's a police state run by liberials and facists.

Quoted: Sounds like your basic small penis syndrome type of situation.  Happens every day.  I'm surprised he didn't shoot the dog.

Because of his actions the result is the same , right ?
The dog is dead.

Quoted: Quoted: Is he now a mall-ninja or a Leo? "...Stephen Sexton, who is now employed by the state Department of Human Services. Ciardiello to the Woodbridge police station reflected standard police procedure of transporting someone who had been arrested to the nearest police station." It apears he is a state animal control agency with arrest powers. Like on that "cops" ttype show on animpal planet with the armed SPCA officers. Why was he there, why did he beat her up, and why wasn't he charged? Aparently invistigating animal cruelty, and she resisted arrest.

My post is missing my last edit.......

I edit it to reflect that he was a CURRENT leo and there is no relevence to his being fired 10 years earlier.
I have no idea why it didn't show up......oh well.

She should have done a little carving with one of these:



CW

Never leave home without it...

I can't believe the lack of severe outrage most have shown at what this POS did to the woman and her dog.
Guys when we start getting to complacent and relaxed about a person in a position of authority doing this to an innocent woman we are in big trouble.
This fucktard needs to be fired from his state job and arrested.
I have composed my own e-mail to the NJ state AG's office and Monday morning I am sending to the proper E addy.

Quoted: I certainly hope the lady finds a rabid lawyer to go canine on that "cops" ass. Sounds like this shitbag excuse for a cop need to be fired for the second and final time

Well that is your opinion................
I think you should not be so quick to jump to conclusions.
I am not sure he did anything wrong.
Saw a case of animal abuse, (however slight it may have been)
Called on duty Law Enforcement
Confronted the lady about the abuse
Responded to her resistance
I do not see a problem.

I also do not see a problem with trying to arrest a Superior Officer if the crime was serious enough.
I know that Detectives and Internal Affairs would arrest if the need arose.  Although for most crimes less than say murder, rape molest etc..  I would submit to the District Attorney and let them issue a warrant.

Quoted: Because of his actions the result is the same , right ? The dog is dead.

You do not know that either.
Maybe the dog was really hot and wanted out of the vehicle.
Maybe the lady let the dog out.
Again you jump to the worst conclusion for the Law Enforcement Officer.
Typical of you though so I am not suprised.

Quoted: She should have done a little carving with one of these: www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/spyderc/images/sp12gsjb.jpg CW

You support attacking Law Enforcement Officers with deadly weapons who are in the lawful performance of thier duties?   Wow!!!!

The title of the thread is also pretty inaccurate in my opinion.
There is nothing to show he beat her, nothing to show he had her arrested and nothing to show he killed her dog. Zero out of three if you ask me, but you guys can pile on and claim he is a bad cop if you want. You have no facts to support your position, but you have the right to be wrong.

Quoted: Quoted: Because of his actions the result is the same , right ? The dog is dead. You do not know that either.

WTH is wrong with you?
If this scumabg didn't stop to start this shit the dog be would home with it's owner and the dinner would have been cooked and we wouldn't be discussing this.
If it was my wife in this womans position I would be in custody and you guys would be trying to handle damage control for my actions, PERIOD!

If you hurt my wife and kill my dog and I'm going to jail or the morgue.

A little bit of research on the NJ State home page shows that the officer is an employee of the NJ Department of Human Services.  The Human Services "police department" works with the Division of Family and Youth Services to provide protection and support to child caseworkers. Animal welfare is within the authority of a separate department -- the Department of Health and Services Office of Animal Welfare. According to that office cruelty complaints are referred to the local SPCA or municipal PD for investigation.

The so called officer showed poor judgement. It was a local issue which escalated due to his involvement and the sorry outcome is a dead dog.

Quoted: WTH is wrong with you? If this scumabg didn't stop to start this shit the dog be would home with it's owner and the dinner would have been cooked and we wouldn't be discussing this. If it was my wife in this womans position I would be in custody and you guys would be trying to handle damage control for my actions, PERIOD! If you hurt my wife and kill my dog and I'm going to jail or the morgue.

OK by me.
By the way what is wrong with you?  If the stupid fucking bitch cared so much for her dog she would not have left it in the fucking car to fry its brain in 125 degree temps.  You know in 90 degree weather it can reach 115 inside a car in 10 or 12 minutes.

She says she was just in the store a few minutes to buy a few items.  I say bullshit!
Fuck her and her husband.  I feel bad for the dog but blame the stupid fucking woman.  If she left her beloved pet at home instead of torturing it in high tempuratures it would be alive, dinner would be cooked and we would not be having this discussion.

You guys are a bunch of anti cop sheep!  People need to take a little fucking responsibility for thier own actions instead of always wanting to blame someone else.

Quoted: Confronted the lady about the abuse Responded to her resistance I do not see a problem.

I think we can all agree that a woman yanked out of her vehicle by an un-uniformed, male, stranger might be inclined to offer some resistance.

Quoted: A little bit of research on the NJ State home page shows that the officer is an employee of the NJ Department of Human Services.  The Human Services "police department" works with the Division of Family and Youth Services to provide protection and support to child caseworkers. Animal welfare is within the authority of a separate department -- the Department of Health and Services Office of Animal Welfare. According to that office cruelty complaints are referred to the local SPCA or municipal PD for investigation. The so called officer showed poor judgement. It was a local issue which escalated due to his involvement and the sorry outcome is a dead dog.

+1
regardless of whether the "officer" was technically in-the-right, it sounds like he over-stepped his jurisdiction AND authority by forcefully PULLING a woman from her vehicle for an offense that could have easily been remedied by taking down her license plate and sending the CORRECT authorities to investigate.  as i understand it, it would be considered animal cruelty to leave any an animal in a vehicle with all the windows completely down where i live, but i don't think a social services cop of any standing could get away with forcefully doing ANYTHING to someone under the REPORTED circumstances.  i also don't think it's okay for a bunch of cops to jump on the LEO bandwagon just because he is official any more than it is for a bunch of yahoos to jump on the cop-bashing bandwagon for it's own sake.  it SOUNDS like he did-done-bad and should probably be fired if not arrested, but i feel more sorry for the dog than the woman.

Even over looking the other BS surrounding this guy, he was there supposedly for the protection of the animal.  Animal died that night because of someones incompetance.  He failed.


Also anyone who thinks that people should just submit to anyone who say they are a cop, especially not in uniform should rethink that.  How hard is it to get a flip wallet with a pretty realistic badge inside?  I would error on the side of safety, resisting arrest be damned.  Women get robbed, carjacked, kidnapped in store parking lots all the time, she was right to be suspicious.