Narcissism in New Jersey

Pit bull owners have not cornered the market on narcissism.  This is the story of Susan and Gary Kolb, narcissists extraordinaire.

Susan and Gary lived in Jersey City New Jersey with their son, and two Boerboel dogs, Jumba and Imani.  Just a little background on Boerboel dogs, they are a guarding breed from South Africa and expected to weigh 100 pounds or more.  Please read this loopy breed description from Dog Breeds of the World.




In 2009 Jumba and Imani, pictured above, were involved in three separate attacks, earning three counts of fourth degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for their owner Susan Kolb. BTW, I like these charges very much. Susan Kolb did not have her dogs on a leash during any of these attacks. She also denies that James Joyce was injured but she does blame him for approaching her dogs "incorrectly." Per the Jersey Journal "Based on all the facts and circumstances related to these three separate and distinct incidents, the grand jury found probable cause to believe there was reckless conduct on the part of the defendant," Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said.
The combined weight of Kolb's dogs was reported as 260 pounds.  This is courtroom photo of Susan Kolb, could this woman be realistically expected to restrain 260 pounds of canine?

    


Per the Jersey Journal

"Jonathan L. Rodriguez, 24, of Brunswick Street, was injured on Jan. 19 at Washington Street and Christopher Columbus Drive. He said Kolb unleashed the dogs and they ran across the street and tore into his arm.

A group of construction workers tried to scare the dogs away during the attack and a driver tried to frighten them off with his car. Kolb said the dogs got spooked by trucks plowing snow and got away from her.

James Joyce, 24, said he needed six stitches after being attacked on Jan. 9 by the dogs at Warren and Morris streets. Joyce, who has also filed a lawsuit against Kolb and her husband Gary, said he was struggling to keep one dog from biting his face when the other bit him in the groin area.

Susan Kolb said Joyce was not injured and that he had approached the dogs incorrectly.

On Sept. 21, at the park at Greene and Essex streets, police said the two dogs were reportedly unleashed when they knocked down a woman who was carrying her 6-month-old granddaughter. Kolb said she thought the park was empty." All of these victims required medical treatment.

The photo below was snapped by Li He and Xiangwei Liu on the day Kolb's dogs attacked Liu's mother while she was carrying their six month old baby.



But the story does not end here, not by a long shot.

Kolb's dogs were impounded and at trial in May of 2009 Kolb agreed to send the dogs out of state in order to avoid an order to euthanize them. This is a magic phrase for Kolb, you will see it again. The promise to send the dogs away halted the court proceeding to try the dogs under the New Jersey Vicious Dog Law which would likely result in Jumba and Imani being euthanized. BUT in January of 2011 Jersey City police discovered Kolb still had the dogs at her home.

The dogs were discovered at the Kolb residence when police were called by concerned neighbors. Per the Jersey Journal

"On Jan. 17 Jersey City police got a 911 call from Kolb's neighbor saying Kolb's husband was being attacked by two dogs. When police knocked on Kolb's door they were told there was no problem, Hernandez said."

No problem? The dogs that she agreed to remove from the state of New Jersey in May of 2009 to avoid euthanization as vicious dogs were attacking her husband, in their home, and the attack was in progress!!! On January 28th a search and seizure warrant was obtained, Jumba and Imani were seized again and sent to the Liberty County Humane Society. Susan Kolb was arrested on outstanding warrants for unpaid fines. The prosecutors office later filed contempt charges with the potential for 18 months in prison. Susan Kolb freely admitted these were the same dogs and she entered a guilty plea to the contempt charges. Kolb again PROMISED TO MOVE THE DOGS OUR OF JERSEY CITY. You have not seen the last of this promise. Jersey City's problem was about to become the problem of Jefferson Township New Jersey.




Has Susan Kolb learned her lesson?

Well, no, she has not. On August 29, 2011 the Jersey Journal reported that Susan Kolb stole Jumba and Imani from the Liberty County Humane Society during the Hurricane Irene evacuation. The dogs were returned a day after they were discovered missing, following police inquires.




Susan Kolb is getting to be a legal system nightmare. No further charges were filed on this caper. On September 25th a trial date was set for the criminal contempt charges.

On October 6th Kolb's dogs were released to her by order of the Jersey City Prosecutor with a direct order to REMOVE THEM FROM THE DISTRICT. Kolb's vehicle was escorted from the premises by two Hudson County Sheriff's vehicles. The order stated that the dogs were to be transported to a residence outside Jersey City. Susan was sentenced to probation and 100 hours of community service. Susan Kolb also agreed to pay a $10,000 fine. Kolb paid $4,000 restitution on Liberty County Humane Society for the care of the dogs. Kolb made a statement in court "I'm sorry for what I did." Susan Kolb treated the laws of the state of New Jersey like they were printed on toilet paper and the best she can come up with is "I'm sorry for what I did"?




It's all good and everyone has learned a lesson, right?

Wrong.

The first week of October of 2011 the Kolbs moved to Jefferson Township New Jersey. On moving day they were escorted to the Jersey City line by Jersey City Police. At the Jefferson border they were met by Jefferson Police. This was not a "welcome to the neighborhood" courtesy call. Clearly Jefferson Township officials were aware of the Kolb's history. Neighbors were not thrilled with the Kolbs, and violations of a court order to muzzle the dogs whenever they were off the Kolb's property began soon after moving day. Susan Kolb was less than cordial to her new neighbors. A resident of the Oak Ridge development told a reporter "They have moved to my neighborhood ... filled with small children," she said. "It's actually making me a little crazy. ... I don't know if these dogs can get out easily.
The other morning they weren't muzzled and I asked her about it. She said she would (expletive deleted) sue me if I kept harassing her."

Just days later, on October 18, 2011 Gary and Susan Kolb were found walking Jumba and Imani without muzzles in violation of court order. Here is the story per the Jefferson Patch

"Steven Post, a neighbor and a Little Falls police sergeant, testified that he was at a local bagel shop early that morning when he saw a Jefferson police car turn down a road that led to his neighborhood. Post said he sensed the police officer was responding to the Kolbs and their dogs.

When he arrived in his neighborhood, Post said, he pulled to the side of the road and saw Jefferson Cpl. Bryan Christie, the Kolbs and the dogs. Post said that he was told by Jefferson Township Council President Richard Yocum that the dogs were not to be in public unless muzzled and on a short leash. Post said he spoke briefly to Christie.

Post said he was close enough to the police car to hear the sounds of a conversation between the police officer and the Kolbs but not all of the actual words. He did say that he heard the phrases. “There are bear around” and “they are hard to get on.”

He testified he was unable to determine which of the Kolbs spoke the phrases.

The Kolb’s attorney Robert Dunn asked Post how he knew the Kolbs were walking the dogs, and Post replied that when he called Jefferson police to report the incident the officer who took the call mentioned that there had been other calls. Post also said two neighbors told him they also called police.

Gary Kolb testified that they walked the dogs between 5 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. when it was still dark so the presence of the dogs would not alarm neighbors.

On Oct. 18, Kolb testified, they were walking with the dogs. He walked Jumba, and his wife Susan walked Imani, when Jumba went into a wooded area along the street to relieve himself. When they came out, Kolb said, Jumba’s muzzle had slipped. They decided to walk toward Chamberlain Road where there was a street light and planned to remuzzle the dog at that point.

About that time Christie showed up in his patrol car, Kolb said.

Kolb said he showed the officer that the muzzle was in his hand and tried to explain that it had come off in the woods. He said that one reason he had not immediately replaced the muzzle on Jumba was that there had been reports of a bear in the neighborhood, one by a neighbor and another by the bus driver who brings their son home from school.

Kolb said that he was afraid that his dog would be injured if muzzled and there had been a bear in the neighborhood.

“These dogs are loyal, fearless and protective,” Kolb said."

Jumba and Imani were impounded, again. Both Gary and Susan Kolb pled not guilty to failure to muzzle, both were charged with contempt of court and indicted by the Morris County Grand Jury. The Kolbs would have been wise to obtain a monthly parking pass at the Justice Center. Susan faced a hearing to determine if she had violated the terms of her probation.


Susan Kolb with lawyer Gerald Miller

Back in canine slammer, things again look bad for Jumba and Imani. In an offer that has no element of surprise, SUSAN OFFERS TO PACK UP HER DOGS AND MOVE AGAIN. She stated “This is one of several ideas that we and our lawyer are proposing to expedite the solution of this misunderstanding,”

Misunderstanding? Not so much. Per the New Jersey Journal

“That offer isn’t even going to start a conversation,” said Jefferson Municipal Prosecutor James LaSala, who had already offered the Kolbs a deal of his own: Send the dogs to an out-of-state rescue facility and pay $10,000 in housing costs the township has incurred after seizing the dogs last October. LaSala said that by accepting these terms, the Kolbs would avoid a trial that could result in the dogs being euthanized"



Incredibly Susan Kolb claimed "We don't believe we are guilty of the contempt charge as we did everything possible to follow the order." What??????

Susan blamed her neighbors for her current legal difficulties stating they were experiencing "tremendous hostility" by "certain individuals in the Township of Jefferson per a Jefferson Patch article titled "Don't kill Our Dogs, We'll Move - Again, couple Says."

Jefferson Township New Jersey was not proving to be the safe haven that Susan and Gary were searching for. Neighbors went on record with their fears. An editorial by the Star Ledger Editorial Board, "liked" by 8,586 readers, called for euthanization of Jumba and Imani. A later editorial also written by the Star Ledger Editorial Board called for sending the dogs out of state and failing that, euthanizing them because their owners were not capable of handling them in a responsible manner.

Susan Kolb complained that she and her husband were being bullied into giving up their dogs. She took an additional step that is not a shocker, she set up a 501c3 called savenjdogs.com. to "help other dog owners" but looking over the goals makes it clear that the $10,000 goal is meant to cover the legal expenses of Susan and Gary Kolb.


Susan and Gary Kolb

In January of 2013 Jumba died of lymphoma while still in custody. Imani remains at the Jefferson Township Municipal Pound. Just this week Susan Kolb has agreed to send Imani to a facility in Utah (Best Friends?) in exchange for dropping all civil and criminal charges against her. Kolb's lawyer does hint at prospective problems by stating that the only hitch might be the transportation of Imani must be accomplished in the next few weeks. Susan Kolb is scheduled to appear on April 10th in Superior Court for paperwork to be signed that would end her prosecution.

Jefferson Township Animal Control would be wise to do regular inspections of the Kolb property. Susan Kolb has made many promises to send her dogs away and never did. The magic never ends...