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Loyna Dejesus-Osorio, also known as Loyna De Jesus, was sentenced to seven years of probation for the assault and puppycide which took place in the 100 block of Old Dorwart Street in Lancaster on Sept. 25, 2022, as detailed by the DA.
The 53-year-old's first nine months will be full house arrest, according to the DA.
She was sentenced by Lancaster County Judge Jeffrey Wright after pleading "no contest" on February 12, 2024. In addition to her house arrest and probation, she must "also take anger management classes, write a letter of apology to the victim, and complete 100 hours of community service at the Humane League, Organization for the Responsible Care of Animals (ORCA), or a similar animal service organization," as stated in the release.
Assistant District Attorney Jaimes Spring prosecuted the case and showed photos of the injuries caused to both the victim and the puppy. “This was an unprovoked attack on a neighbor she had only met once before." Spring showed a video of the attack that picked up the victim screaming and the defendant yelling, “don’t come through this (expletive) territory” and “that’s what you get.”
The attack was described by the DA as follows:
"Dejesus-Osorio attacked the victim and her five-month-old Chihuahua puppy, Tinkerbell, while they were walking down Campbell Ave. behind her home. Dejesus-Osorio grabbed the victim by her hair, pulled her to the ground, and dragged her across the parking lot. The defendant continued to attack the victim until a witness physically pulled her off the victim. Dejesus-Osorio stepped on the puppy’s neck during the assault and the dog was dead on arrival at the emergency veterinarian office from apparent spinal/head trauma. The medical report showed the dog suffered a fractured orbital bone, an air bubble within the skull, a collapsed oropharynx, and at least two recently fractured left metatarsal bones."
Spring had asked for a sentence of six to 23 months in prison, claiming De Jesus "is a danger to the community and showed no signs of remorse or accountability for her actions."
But her "work history and character" as portrayed by her coworkers were cited as reasons for a mitigated sentence. Coworkers and friends of the defendant testified to her character.
An LNP/Lancaster Online article from April 2019 began as follows, "Loyna De Jesus has spent her life helping others. She assists people in her job as SNAP outreach associate for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, but she also makes a difference in her community outside of work—and she’s been making an impact since she was a girl."
But as ADA Spring said, “A person’s character is judged by what they do while nobody’s watching."
Central PA Food Bank responed to Daily Voice's request for comment on Monday, May 6 stating that "Loyna deJesus is no longer employed by the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank."
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