Name: Man accused of shooting Ruby the French bulldog rejects plea deal
Uploaded: 2026-01-16T18:29:57.077Z
Duration: 2 min 13 s
Description: Because he declined the plea deal, the case will now go to a grand jury to consider an indictment.

Because he declined the plea deal, the case will now go to a grand jury to consider an indictment.

Ocean County

Jeffrey Lenz appeared at the Ocean County Courthouse in New Jersey, where he declined a plea deal related to charges of animal cruelty and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in the shooting death of Ruby, a French bulldog. The plea deal would have resulted in a concurrent five-year and three-year prison sentence and a ban on animal ownership, but Lenz chose not to accept it.

The incident occurred after Ruby's owner left the dog in Lenz's care, later learning the dog had died. A veterinarian's examination revealed a bullet in Ruby's jaw, leading to charges against Lenz. With the plea deal rejected, the case will move forward to a grand jury for consideration of indictment.

Man accused of shooting Ruby the French bulldog rejects plea deal

NEW THIS AFTERNOON... A COURT HEARING FOR THE MAN ACCUSED OF SHOOTING AND KILLING RUBY... THE FRENCH BULLDOG. JEFFREY LENZ IS FACING ANIMAL CRUELTY WHILE HE AND HIS WIFE WERE WATCHING RUBY FOR A FAMILY MEMBER. NEWS 12 NEW JERSEY'S CHRIS KEATING IS JOINING US LIVE THIS AFTERNOON FROM THE OCEAN COUNTY COURTHOUSE WITH THE UPDATE. CHRIS. JEFFREY LENZ DID APPEAR AT THE OCEAN COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN TIMES RIVER FOR A VERY BRIEF HEARING CONCERNING EVIDENCE. BUT IT WAS DURING THAT HEARING THAT WE HEARD THE OCEAN COUNTY PROSECUTOR SAY THAT A PLEA DEAL HAS BEEN OFFERED IN THIS CASE, ONE WHICH COULD CARRY A PRISON TERM. NOW AT THIS POINT, LENZ IS DECLINING TO ACCEPT THAT OFFER, WHICH MEANS EVENTUALLY THIS CASE COULD BE HEADING TO TRIAL. JEFFREY LENZ APPEARED BEFORE THE JUDGE WITHIN THE OCEAN COUNTY COURTHOUSE, WHILE BEHIND HIM SAT A CROWD OF SUPPORTERS FOR RUBY THE FRENCH BULLDOG AND THE DOG'S OWNERS. IT WAS DURING THIS HEARING THAT THE ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR TOLD JUDGE KENNETH PALMER THAT A PRE-INDICTMENT PLEA DEAL HAS BEEN OFFERED. IF HE WOULD HAVE AGREED TO THE DEAL, LENZ WOULD SERVE FIVE YEARS IN PRISON FOR POSSESSION OF A WEAPON FOR AN UNLAWFUL PURPOSE AND THREE YEARS FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY. THAT TERM WOULD BE SERVED CONCURRENTLY. HE ALSO WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO OWN ANY ANIMALS. BUT SO FAR, LENZ HAS TURNED DOWN THAT OFFER. I WAS REALLY HOPING THAT HE WAS GOING TO TAKE THE PLEA DEAL TODAY. I FEEL LIKE THE EVIDENCE WE HAVE AGAINST HIM IS SO STRONG. BUT IF HE WANTS TO GO TO TRIAL, THEN I WELCOME IT. YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM THE TRUTH, YOU KNOW, AND HE'LL HAVE HIS DAY. IN OCTOBER, NICOLE AND GRAFIA DROPPED OFF THE DOG WITH THE MOTHER AND LENZ WHILE SHE WENT TO A WEDDING. HOWEVER, A WHILE AWAY THAT DAY, INGRAFIA GOT A CALL SAYING THAT RUBY WAS ATTACKED BY AN ANIMAL AND DIED. BUT AFTER HAVING AN X-RAY PERFORMED ON RUBY'S REMAINS, A VETERINARIAN FOUND A BULLET WAS DROPPED INTO THE DOG'S JAW. SOON AFTER, POLICE FILED CHARGES AGAINST LENZ. SINCE LENZ HAS SO FAR TURNED DOWN THIS PLEA OFFER, THAT MEANS THAT THIS CASE WILL NOW HEAD TO A GRAND JURY. AND THAT PANEL WILL CONSIDER A POSSIBLE INDICTMENT. FOLLOWING THIS HEARING, WE DID ATTEMPT TO SPEAK WITH LENZ'S ATTORNEY TO TALK MORE ABOUT HIS POSSIBLE DEFENSE. BUT HIS ATTORNEY HAS DECLINED COMMENTS SO FAR. THAT'S THE VERY LATEST IN TOMS RIVER. I'M CHRIS KEATING, NEWS 12 NEW JERSEY.

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