QUEENS, N.Y. – A Queens man has been indicted on multiple charges after prosecutors say he killed a pit bull belonging to a relative before setting the animal’s body on fire in South Ozone Park.
Isaiah Gurley, 29, of Jamaica, faces counts of aggravated animal cruelty, arson, criminal mischief and other crimes for the July 24 incident that left the burned remains of a service animal in the middle of a residential street.
According to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, Gurley was entrusted to care for the dog, named Square K, but instead inflicted “unfathomable cruelty” before attempting to destroy the evidence in flames. Katz vowed to pursue the case aggressively and renewed calls for stronger penalties under New York’s animal cruelty statutes.
Surveillance footage cited in court shows Gurley entering First Class Deli on Rockaway Boulevard around 4:40 a.m., where he allegedly stole a bottle of oil. Minutes later, prosecutors say he was seen dragging an unconscious dog by a leash along 116th Avenue before dousing the body and setting it ablaze near parked cars.
At about 9 a.m. the same morning, an NYPD lieutenant on an unrelated call discovered the charred dog remains. The NYPD Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad launched an investigation, aided by surveillance video.
Police released Gurley’s image to the public, and on July 28 a 911 caller reported spotting him at a Foot Locker inside the Queens Center mall. He was taken into custody by the 110th Precinct.
A forensic exam conducted by the ASPCA confirmed the dog died from blunt force trauma prior to being burned.
Gurley was arraigned on a seven-count indictment before Supreme Court Justice Michael Yavinsky, who ordered him back to court on November 18. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison.
