The mayor of Manalapan is appealing to state leaders in an effort to close down a residential care facility after several of its residents died in recent years from a variety of causes.

According to officials, three have been killed after being hit by cars out on Route 33, one died of apparent malnutrition, one by suicide, and another by an apparent heroin overdose -- all were residents at Manalapan Manor.

Mayor Susan Cohen says Manalapan Manor is a senior living facility that houses about 50 patients.

Mayor Cohen says the patients are housed in a manner that should not be acceptable with anyone.

She recently wrote Gov. Phil Murphy a strongly worded letter pointing out the numerous issues with the facility, asking the state to help enforce its closure and moving the patients to other more suitable facilities.

"We've been working on this for six years and what we're hoping is that the governor is going to put his foot down and say enough is enough," says Cohen. "It's a really sad situation.

Their hands are tied because Manalapan Manor is state licensed and privately owned, but the issues, according to the Mayor, are very public -- including harassment of residents at nearby businesses and the residents fatally struck while walking along Route 33.

Along with hundreds of yearly police calls to the facility, the mayor says conditions inside are deplorable, such as multiple inoperative toilets, sewage backups, infestations of cockroaches and bedbugs.

The mayor tells News 12 Assemblyman Clifton has introduced a bill that he's hoping will soon change state regulations for such facilities.

The mayor's letter was just sent to the governor Wednesday, so there is no response from the state at this time.

News 12 reached out to Manalapan Manor as well in an attempt to talk with the owner, but there is no response at this time.