Man who allegedly killed dog, set it on fire in Queens released from jail
Isaiah Gurley, 29, has been charged with animal cruelty, arson, petit larceny and reckless endangerment, which are not bail eligible charges.
Gurley was arraigned Tuesday night and ordered to return to court on Sept. 17.
According to court documents, surveillance video shows a man stealing a bottle of some type of oil from a deli on Rockaway Boulevard around 4:40 a.m. on July 24.
Additional surveillance video from a home on 116th Avenue shows the same man dragging what appears to be an unconscious dog along the ground by a leash about five minutes later, officials say.
The man then allegedly poured oil on the dog's body and set it on fire in the street just after 5 a.m. before fleeing the scene.
Officials say several hours later, an NYPD lieutenant who was in the area on an unrelated assignment saw the dog's charred remains and notified the NYPD Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals assisted the NYPD in their investigation.
The NYPD released images from the surveillance video over the weekend and asked for the public's help locating the suspect.
The Queens district attorney's office says someone spotted Gurley at the Queens Center Mall on Monday and called in a tip. Police say at the time of his arrest, he was wearing the same clothes as the suspect in the surveillance videos.
According to court documents, Gurley told police he had been taking care of another person's pit bull for several days, and at some point, he kicked the dog to death. He allegedly said he then burned the dog's body after it was already dead.
"Animals are not punching bags. They are not toys. They have every right to proper care, just as humans do," Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement. "The allegations in this case are heart wrenching as the defendant is accused of killing the dog before dragging the lifeless body and setting it on fire. We will use all tools available to hold the defendant responsible for his alleged actions."
If convicted, Gurley faces up to two years in prison.
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