Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Isaiah Gurley was indicted for animal cruelty, arson, criminal mischief and other crimes for allegedly killing a male pit bull before burning the body on a public street in South Ozone Park on July 24. The dog, named Square K, was a relative’s service animal.

District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, the defendant was supposed to be caring for a family member’s dog and instead subjected it to unfathomable cruelty as he killed the pit bull and then set it on fire. This dog suffered needlessly, and we have no tolerance for animal abuse in Queens County. My office will aggressively prosecute those who beat and torture defenseless animals. It is well past time that New York strengthens its animal cruelty laws to allow for the appropriate penalties for such abuse.”

Gurley, 29, of South Conduit Avenue in Jamaica, was arraigned today on a seven-count indictment charging him with aggravated animal cruelty, arson in the fifth degree, harming a service animal in the second degree, criminal mischief, in the second degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree, reckless endangerment in the second degree and petit larceny. Supreme Court Justice Michael Yavinsky ordered Gurley to return to court on November 18.  If convicted, he faces up to 2 1/3 to seven years in prison.

According to the charges, on July 24, at approximately 9 a.m., an NYPD Lieutenant out on an unrelated assignment observed the charred remains of a dog on the street in the vicinity of 127-20 116^th Avenue in South Ozone Park. The NYPD Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad was notified, and an investigation was launched.

Nearby surveillance was pulled and showed the defendant walking into First Class Deli on Rockaway Boulevard at approximately 4:40 a.m. on July 24. He was seen picking up a bottle of oil and leaving the store allegedly without paying.

Approximately five minutes later, Gurley was allegedly seen on video footage dragging an unconscious dog by the leash along 116^th Avenue. He then stopped and allegedly used the oil to douse the dog’s body and set it on fire. The fire was set close to several cars.

Upon releasing an image of the defendant to the public, the NYPD received a 911 call on July 28 from someone who spotted the defendant at a Foot Locker at the Queens Center mall. The defendant was arrested by members of the 110^th precinct.

A post-mortem examination by the ASPCA determined that the dog was killed before being set on fire and that it had suffered a blunt force trauma injury to the head.

Assistant District Attorney Justin Bobko, of the District Attorney’s Animal Cruelty Prosecutions Unit, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Nicole Reid, Interim Section Chief, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Mary Kate Quinn, Bureau Chief of the Domestic Violence Bureau, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Special Prosecutions Joyce A. Smith.