N.J. man pleads guilty to animal-cruelty charges

A Monmouth County man accused of running down a flock of seagulls in a mall parking lot has pleaded guilty to animal-cruelty charges.

A judge in Eatontown, N.J., levied more than $750 in fines and fees against Jeffrey Karczewski of Hamilton.

Victor "Buddy" Amato of the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said witnesses saw the 22-year-old circle the gulls in the Monmouth Mall parking lot before laughing as he ran them over Oct. 18. One bird was killed and two others were never found.

Amato says the man initially said he was searching for an exit and didn't mean to hit the birds. - AP