On Thursday, April 13, 2023, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced that 32-years-old VICTOR CASTILLO, of Webb Avenue, the Bronx, has been indicted for Aggravated Cruelty to Animals for “allegedly” killing a 7-year-old Pomeranian named Ken-Shin during an argument with his ex-girlfriend.
DA Clark said CASTILLO was arraigned on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Guy Mitchell “on an indictment charging Aggravated Cruelty to Animals, New York Agricultural and Markets Law section 353-a, a felony.”
According to a press release by the DA’s Office, on February 9, 2023, CASTILLO had an argument with his ex-girlfriend in her apartment on Arthur Avenue. At one point during the argument, CASTILLO picked up her 9 ½- pound furbaby, Ken-Shin, by the neck and slammed his small head “onto a wooden coffee table, causing blood to splatter around the room, and killing the dog instantly.”
A.S.P.C.A. performed a necropsy on the Voiceless Victim and results showed that “the blunt force trauma to his head caused him to have multiple skull fractures and lacerations to his brain which caused his death.”
As District Attorney Clark said: “This was a spectacularly brutal act of animal abuse. The
defendant is being held accountable for allegedly causing multiple fractures to the little dog’s head, killing him instantly.”
CASTILLO is due back in court on May 4, 2023.
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Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.
A small, defenseless, terrified dog was savagely beaten in an elevator and in a hallway by 33-years-old TRINTON HATTON. In an exclusive interview with NBC News, HATTON’s boyfriend, NASHAN BROWN had the nerve to say: “I’m the victim of the situation. I was at work. I did not know what was going on.”
BROWN was in tears playing the victim while Marc Santia with ABC News was interviewing him.
BROWN told Santia he was at work while his boyfriend was dog-sitting, and one got loose on a walk.
The despicable abuse was caught on security camera footage and the videos, that are also circulating on social media, are truly hard to watch. In one video, HATTON can be seen getting into the elevators with the dogs, and he is carrying one of them by the neck. Once the door closes, HATTON can be seen aggressively and repeatedly whipping one of the dogs with a leash. Another dog in the camera view is visibly frightened and can be seen cringing every time the other furbaby gets hit. At one point HATTON kicks one of the pups so forcefully that the pooch is lifted and lands on the opposite side of the elevator. HATTON then proceeds to punch and kick the helpless dogs out of the elevator.
In another video, posted on Facebook by the non-profit Blue Lives Bully Rescue, HATTON can be seen going up a flight of stairs while two of the dogs run ahead of him toward the apartment door. HATTON follows while he is dragging a dog by the leash. While HATTON stands in front of the door, he violently kicks the dog he had dragged. The dog can be heard crying in pain.
When HATTON is done kicking the dog, he then pulls the dog by the leash again.
A spokesperson for NYPD tells me that on Friday, April 7, 2023, at approximately 9:38 p.m., “officers from the 50 Precinct were alerted to people fighting inside of 5550 Netherland Avenue. Upon further investigation, police determined that the perpetrator abused a dog under his care.”
I further learned that “On Monday, April 10, 2023, the Bronx District Attorney initiated a warrant for the seizure of the animals. The three dogs were taken to an undisclosed animal hospital for further evaluation.” I was also told that HATTON, of 5550 Netherland Avenue
Bronx, NY, is charged with torture, injuring, and not feeding an animal.
Not only is BROWN defending his boyfriend, but he is desperately hoping to get his dogs back. BROWN claimed that people are judging the situation unfairly.
Despite what so many of us have seen happening in those distressing videos, BROWN said he is struggling to understand why the dogs were taken away from him after his boyfriend’s arrest.
During the entire interview with NBC News and published by the news agency, NOT ONCE have I heard BROWN saying that he was worried about his dogs’ well-being.
Instead, he worried about his privacy that has been violated after someone leaked the video to social media along with his address. He said: “I have no dogs, I have no privacy. I'm getting no respect. I'm getting no help from anyone.”
He went on to say that HATTON was “very very remorseful, and that’s what social media don’t see”.
According to Blue Lives Bully Rescue, the dogs’ guardian “said it was a onetime occurrence but according to tenants, they have been calling 311, 911 and the 50th Precinct for months for animal abuse. The dogs were taken from them and given back once already. This is now the second time that the dogs have been taken from them and there is a chance they MAY get them back.”
Animal Victory has created a petition asking: “We the undersigned demand that Trinton Hatton is held responsible for his violent attack on a small dog. We are petitioning for Hatton to receive the maximum punishment allowable by law for the charges stemming from his abusive behavior. At sentencing, we also hope to see Hatton prohibited from owning or residing with animals in the future.”
A court date is set for Thursday, April 27, 2023, at Bronx Criminal Court.
NASHAN BROWN, let me tell you something, you have no way of knowing whether or not your boyfriend has abused your dogs before because they CANNOT TALK!
You, as a human, have the faculty of defending yourself, asking for help, and reporting abuse. Unlike you, furvictims have to rely on witnesses and surveillance cameras to be rescued.
If you are so concerned about your boyfriend’s tears, DESPITE what you saw, then, you are an animal abuser enabler and you do NOT deserve those dogs!
Since your boyfriend likes hitting and beating, go ahead and please him! You be his victim!
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Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.
I learned from the Queens District Attorney's Office that PAUL VERITE: “…pleaded guilty to aggravated cruelty to animals and was sentenced in April to five-years’ probation. At that time, Judge Toni Cimino also signed a court order prohibiting him from owning or possessing any animals for the next 20 years.”
I was further told that PAUL VERITE “… is also required to sign the New York City Department of Health Animal Abuse Registry and complete the BARK (Behavior, Accountability, Responsibility, and Knowledge) program for animal maltreatment offenders.”
~ Update: May 16, 2023
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that on May 15, 2023, 50-years-old PAUL VERITE “was arraigned in Queens Supreme Court on an indictment charging him with aggravated cruelty to animals and overdriving, torturing or injuring an animal.”
The voiceless victim of this abhorrent crime is a 10-week-old female Boston Terrier named Espy who had to be euthanized as a consequence of repeated torture inflicted upon her.
As reported in the original press release by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, a necropsy performed on the defenseless furbaby, revealed that “she suffered excruciating pain before dying.”
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said that Justice Cimino ordered VERITE, of Clyde Street in Forest Hills, to return to court on June 14, 2023. If convicted, he faces up to ONLY two years in prison.
If Espy had been a human, the term used in this case by the relevant agencies would have been “murder” and her murderer would have faced life in prison!
Whatever time VERITE will spend behind bars, after his release, he can resume his life.
Espy won’t! Her right to a long life was taken away from her!
For as long as animals rights are ignored, this is the result. So, as far as I am concerned, lawmakers and judges continue to contribute to animal cruelty!
I heard back from the Queens County District Attorney ‘s Office and learned that “Espy was euthanized on November 1 and shortly thereafter a necropsy was performed by a forensic veterinarian from the ASPCA.” To my request of releasing Espy’s pictures and VERITE’s booking photograph, I was told: “Unfortunately, we do not have photos that we can share.”
Finally, to my question: “Why X-rays weren't requested and performed by the veterinarians who examined Espy in September, October, and November and it took a necropsy to learn what Espy went through?”, I was told: “I do not have that information.”
~ Original story:
An innocent puppy was euthanized as a consequence of repeated torture inflicted upon her and Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that 49-years-old PAUL VERITE has now been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals and other crimes.
The voiceless victim is a 10-week-old female Boston Terrier named Espy.
In a news release, DA Katz said that according to the charges, “on multiple occasions in September, October and November, Verite took Espy to Austin Veterinary Care and Blue Pearl Animal Hospital. Each time, Espy required treatment for a variety of unexplained and suspicious injuries, which included a scleral/subconjunctival hemorrhage, torn toenail, suspected traumatic brain injury, head contusion, and bruising suspected to be from blunt force trauma.”
During Espy’s final medical visit at Austin Veterinary Care, a veterinarian began treating her for a potential seizure but realized that Espy was failing to respond to treatment. The veterinarian suspected that Espy was suffering from a traumatic head injury, so VERITE was referred to Blue Pearl Animal Hospital for emergency care. When Espy arrived at Blue Pearl, it was determined that she was not able to stand or walk. As indicated in the press release, “Further examination revealed that Espy was suffering from bilateral flail chest, swelling and bruising on her abdomen and scleral hemorrhaging on both eyes and was in critical condition. It was further determined that there was no guarantee Espy’s neurological signs would improve if surgery was performed. “ According to DA Katz, VERITE opted to euthanize Espy.
A necropsy was later performed on Espy by a forensic veterinarian who also reviewed prior medical records relating to the injuries Espy sustained during her life.
Results showed that “Espy suffered multiple injuries, including multiple blunt force traumas to her ribs. Of Espy’s 26 ribs, 21 were fractured, with over half fractured in more than one place. Espy’s broken ribs presented in different stages of healing indicating that Espy had suffered multiple blunt force injuries prior to her death. These injuries caused Espy to experience excruciating pain before her death.”
Investigators arrested VERITE, of Clyde Street, Queens, on February 6, 2023.
On February 27, 2023, this despicable individual was arraigned before Queens Criminal Court Judge John F. Zoll on charges of aggravated cruelty to animals and overdriving, torturing and injuring animals and failure to provide sustenance.
Judge Zoll released VERITE without bail and ordered him to return to court on Monday, April 24, 2023, at 9:00 a.m.
DA Kats said: “To see a trusting, defenseless creature brutalized the way this puppy was over the course of her short, tortured life makes you heartsick. The defendant will be held to account for the violence he is alleged to have inflicted upon this poor animal.”
And yet, IF convicted, VERITE faces up to ONLY two years behind bars.
Daily News reports that VERITE denies the charges and told the news agency: “The hospital is lying I’m being falsely accused.”
VERITE went on to tell Daily News it was his first time having a dog and stated: “My father died of lung cancer in April, so I got the dog as an emotional support animal. Dog bumped his head about a month and a half ago. I was holding him, and he fell.”
According to Daily News, a veterinary staffer said: “He did not want that necropsy done. He wanted her cremated.”
I have emailed NYPD and Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and requested additional information as well as Espy’s pictures and VERITE’s mugshot. I am sure we all want to know why X-rays weren't requested and performed by the veterinarians who examined Espy in September, October, and November and it took a necropsy to learn what Espy went through! Should I receive a response, I will post an update.
Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from official news outlets. Links included.
Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.
