A Manhattan man has been charged with beating his 12-pound puppy and doing nothing to help her after she plunged off the roof of his five-story building, authorities said.
Aram Ortiz, 27, faces up to two years in jail for beating and abandoning Sofie, a 5-month-old Basenji. The little dog later died of her injuries, which included broken ribs, blood loss and bruised lungs.
ASPCA Special Agent Joseph Pentangelo said police were called to 402 W. 51st St. on April 16 after receiving several 911 calls about a puppy falling from the roof of the building.
ASPCA Special Agent Joseph Lemos, who conducted the investigation, arrested Ortiz late Thursday after determining he beat Sofie after she urinated in his apartment and then brought her up to the roof. It wasn't clear how the dog went off the roof.
"He sat in his apartment while his pet languished in what must have been excruciating pain for an hour and a half," said Pentangelo. "He took no action."
Ortiz was charged with one count of animal cruelty and one count of abandonment of a disabled animal. Case Updates| Sophie, the little dog was taken to the Animal Medical Center where she died hours later from her injuries. ASPCA investigators determined that Sophie had apparently fallen from the roof and was lying on the ground below for over an hour, before receiving any veterinary attention. Apparently the little dog had upset Ortiz by urinating inside the apartment. | Source: ASPCA - June 16, 2006
Update posted on Jun 25, 2006 - 7:37PM |
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