By Lea Kahn / Staff Writer
Guy M. James, whose dog Congo became the focus of a controversial court battle in Princeton last year, has been charged with shoplifting for attempting to leave the ShopRite supermarket at the Mercer Mall without paying for $587.81 worth of food Aug. 29, according to the Lawrence Township Police Department.
A store loss prevention officer observed Mr. James, of Stuart Road West in Princeton Township, walk through the kosher food section of the ShopRite store, police said. After Mr. James had made his selections of food valued at $850.52, he walked over to the self-checkout register in the store.
Mr. James scanned in $262.71 worth of food, and attempted to leave the store without paying for the remainder of the items, police said. He did not scan in those items, worth $587.81.
The loss prevention officer stopped Mr. James as he tried to leave the store, and identified himself, according to police. He escorted Mr. James to the store’s security office to await Lawrence police.
Mr. James was issued a summons and released.
Mr. James and his wife, Elizabeth James, owned Congo and four other German shepherds involved in the 2007 attack on landscaper Giovanni Rivera. The dogs mauled the landscaper after he reported for work at the James family estate.
The story gained national attention last year as Mr. and Mrs. James fought to keep Congo from being euthanized following the attack on Mr. Rivera. Princeton Township Municipal Court Judge Russell Annich had ordered the dog to be destroyed.
Princeton Township officials and the couple reached an agreement that spared the live of the five German shepherds. They agreed to a set of rules governing the dogs, including the installation of special signage on their property, fencing and special notification procedures.
But Mr. James had Congo and three of the four other dogs — Lucia, Hunter and Bear — euthanized after they attacked Mrs. James’ mother, 75-year-old Constance Ladd, earlier this year. She was attacked as she left the house and was walking through the yard in order to leave the James residence.
Mrs. Ladd suffered puncture wounds to the head, chest and arm and complained of pain in her hip following the June attack, but she refused to implicate the dogs at the time of the incident earlier this year.
The James family decided to euthanize the four dogs at a veterinarian’s office.

