13-week-old puppy kicked to death
Bridgeville, PA (US)Incident Date: Sunday, Nov 22, 2009
County: Allegheny
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged:
» William Woodson
» Christine Louise-Rose Gielarowski
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A Bridgeville man told police he killed his girlfriend's puppy yesterday afternoon because the animal would not behave before the Steelers football game broadcast.
William Woodson, 22, is being held on $25,000 bail in the Allegheny County Jail, pending a preliminary hearing on animal cruelty at 1 p.m. next Monday before District Judge Elaine McGraw in Bridgeville.
The puppy, a 13-week-old pit bull named Flip, had been the focal point of recent arguments between Mr. Woodson and his girlfriend, Christine Gielarowski, 21, with whom Mr. Woodson lives on Jane Way.
Ms. Gielarowski still may face charges after she gave police a false name and address, then refused to identify her boyfriend as the suspect, officials said.
A witness called Bridgeville police at 1:09 p.m. after the suspect, who was supposed to have been walking the dog, instead was kicking it down the street, according to a police affidavit.
Ms. Gielarowski told police her boyfriend kicked the dog because the pup would not walk with them. When the near lifeless dog no longer was able to move, Mr. Woodson walked away from it and his girlfriend, she told police.
The witness called police after he found the animal lying limp and dying in the 100 block of Union Street. By the time police arrived, the dog was dead and Mr. Woodson was gone.
After Ms. Gielarowski gave police her real name, officers contacted her parents and learned Mr. Woodson's name.
Police were told the suspect was at a friend's residence. Police called the friend, who put Mr. Woodson on the phone, but the suspect refused to surrender.
Police went to the residence and apprehended the suspect as he was leaving through the back door, the affidavit said.
Mr. Woodson declined to acknowledge the reading of his rights as he was arrested. However, waiting in the cruiser at the police station, he spoke, unsolicited, with one of the officers.
According to the affidavit, Mr. Woodson said he argued with Ms. Gielarowski about buying the dog to live at their residence.
"He admitted the dog would not behave prior to the Steelers game and that he became upset at it," according to the affidavit.
Case UpdatesOne witness took the stand Monday morning to tell the court about violent actions that lead to the death of a puppy over a week ago.
Mario Belcastro said he watched as William Woodson violently launched the puppy over 25 feet and watched as the pet died.
Witnesses said what Woodson did to a small black puppy happened within seconds.
According to testimony, Woodson kicked the puppy down Union Street then hurled it into the air.
The puppy hit the ground so hard that it bounced and rolled more than 25 feet, according to witnesses.
Witnesses who responded to the screams of Woodson's girlfriend, Christine Gielarowski, said they couldn't believe what they found.
Belcastro said he came upon the puppy while it was going through death spasms with its tongue hanging out.
At the scene, Gielarowski told witnesses that Woodson was responsible for the death of her dog. But last week she told Channel 11 news she didn't know what happened, and Gielarowski was arrested a day after her interview with Channel 11.
Gielarowski and Woodson are accused of docking, which is a medical procedure that is meant to make the dog's tail fall off.
Gielarowski is charged with two counts of cruelty to animals, hindering apprehension and prosecution and providing false identification to police, but her hearing was postponed.
Prosecution moved forward with Woodson's case and a judge held all charges against Woodson for court, including two new charges, which are cruelty to animals and criminal conspiracy. | Source: wpxi.com - Dec1, 2009
Update posted on Nov 19, 2010 - 3:13PM |
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