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Litchfield County resident Benjamin Tyler, age 40, of New Milford, entered a guilty plea on Monday, June 2, to aggravated cruelty to animals in Westchester County Court, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday, June 3.
Tyler admitted to killing Bruno, a purebred English bulldog, and scattering the animal’s remains across multiple locations in New Rochelle in December 2024, prosecutors said.
According to investigators, the incident occurred around Dec. 6, 2024, while Tyler was staying with a longtime acquaintance at a residence in New Rochelle. Prosecutors said Tyler strangled Bruno to death, then dismembered the animal, leaving parts of the carcass in garbage receptacles around the city, as Daily Voice previously reported.
The dog’s guardian reported Bruno missing to New Rochelle Police on Dec. 6, which led to an intensive investigation by the department’s detectives in cooperation with the SPCA of Westchester. Tyler turned himself in to police on Dec. 23, following the issuance of a warrant.
Westchester District Attorney Susan Cacace described Tyler’s actions as “sickening beyond comprehension" on Tuesday.
"He will soon have time to reflect on the depravity of his actions from the Westchester County Jail," Cacace added.
Tyler is expected to be sentenced to one year in Westchester County Jail on Monday, Sept. 8, according to Cacace.
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