Man Assaulted With Dog Leash On Bike Path

A 67-year-old man was taken to the hospital after being assaulted by a Neptune man with a dog leash Friday morning while walking on the township’s bike path, police said.

Brian Ellsworth, 63, of Neptune was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes after an altercation on the path, just west of Baileys Corner Road, Sgt. Kenneth Brown Jr. said.

The 10 a.m. incident occurred when Ellsworth and the victim, whose name was not released by police, were separately walking their dogs on the path. The dogs began fighting and Ellsworth hit the man with a dog leash, Brown said.

The man was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune Township, by Wall EMS with minor injuries.  Ellsworth was later arrested at his home, Brown said.

Ellsworth was also given a summons for letting his dogs run without a leash, Brown said.