An unemployed Queens man is charged with a felony for beating a Chihuahua so savagely the dog had to be euthanized. Jerry Melendez, who is 33 years old and weighs 265 pounds, allegedly became angry at the eight pound dog, named Spotye, on February 10th and beat the animal to within an inch of his life. He later brought Spotye to a local vet, where the pet was treated for head trauma and multiple seizures. According to the ASPCA, results of the necropsy revealed that the Chihuahua had sustained a fractured skull caused by blunt force impact. The dog also suffered from hemorrhage to the left eye.
Humane Law Enforcement agents arrested at Melendez at his home on Grove Street in Ridgewood this morning; he's charged with one count of aggravated animal cruelty, a felony. If convicted, he faces up to two years in prison and a $2,000 fine. ASPCA spokesman Joseph Pentangelo tells us, "It's our seventh arrest this year, our first felony arrest. There's never an excuse for it. If you become angry at a pet, there are moral ways to deal with it, rather than inflict violence on a pet."
