Brentwood Man Strangled Dog While FaceTiming Family: Suffolk DA

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — A Brentwood man accused strangling a dog to death while on a FaceTime call with his family members was indicted, Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini announced Thursday.

Keenan Castro, 23, faces several felony charges and could receive two and one-third to seven years in prison if convicted.

"My Office is currently working on proposed legislation to increase penalties for anyone who kills a defenseless animal," Sini stated via news release. "This is an unfortunate case, but we will hold this defendant accountable and we will get justice on behalf of all the victims, including the dog and its owner."

On May 9, Castro found a Chihuahua-Dachshund mix named Donny who had escaped from a Central Islip home, authorities said. After keeping the dog for nearly one month, on June 1, Castro was on a FaceTime video call with four of his family members, including three children, when he was accused of strangling and killing the dog, prosecutors said.

During the call, and in following calls and text messages, Castro threatened family members not to report the strangulation to law enforcement, officials said. Castro also threatened a family member via texts that he would strangle her like he did the dog, prosecutors said.

Donny's remains were recovered at a waste transfer facility in Holbrook on June 4 by the Suffolk County Police Department’s Third Precinct, authorities said.

A preliminary necropsy found manual strangulation, skull fracture and brain contusions as contributing factors to how Donny died, prosecutors said.

"Castro’s inhumane and appalling actions will have a lasting impact on the families involved," Suffolk County Acting Police Commissioner Stuart Cameron said. "I would like to commend the Third Squad detectives who investigated this case and apprehended the suspect as well as members of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for furthering the investigation and ensuring Castro faces the consequences for his actions."

Castro was charged with second-degree criminal mischief (a class D felony); aggravated cruelty to animals (a class E felony); fourth-degree grand larceny (a class E felony); fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property (a class E felony); third-degree intimidating a victim or witness (a class E felony); overdriving, torturing or injuring animals (a class A misdemeanor); second-degree aggravated harassment (a class A misdemeanor); and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child (a class A misdemeanor).

Castro was arraigned Thursday and remanded pending the results of a competency evaluation. He is being represented by Scott Zerner and is due back in court on July 12.