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The arrest stemmed from an investigation that began on Friday, Dec. 6, when a 41-year-old New Rochelle man reported to police that his dog had been taken and killed by an acquaintance staying at his apartment, New Rochelle Police Captain J. Collins Coyne announced on Monday, Dec. 23.
Coyne said the suspect, Litchfield County resident Benjamin Tyler, age 39, of New Milford, allegedly dismembered the dog and disposed of its remains in various garbage locations throughout New Rochelle.
Detectives from the New Rochelle Police Department, working alongside officers from the ASPCA, launched an intensive investigation into the "disturbing incident" that culminated in an arrest warrant for Tyler, Coyne said.
On Monday, Dec. 23, Tyler turned himself in to the New Rochelle Police Department, where he was taken into custody. He has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, a felony under New York State law.
In a statement, the New Rochelle Police Department emphasized the seriousness of animal cruelty crimes and urged residents to report any signs of abuse or neglect.
“Animal cruelty is a serious crime and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” the department said.
Police encourage the public to report any suspected animal cruelty to law enforcement or animal welfare organizations.
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