Dog found dead at Yonkers park leads to aggravated animal cruelty arrest
Daniel Martinez, 37, of Yonkers is accused of abandoning Kobe, a dog that was later found deceased near Hawthorne Avenue, according to Yonkers police and SPCA Westchester Humane Law Enforcement.
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A Yonkers man was charged after a dog was found dead July 4 tied to a fence at a city park.
Daniel Martinez, 37, of Yonkers is accused of abandoning Kobe, a dog that was later found deceased near Hawthorne Avenue, according to Yonkers police and SPCA Westchester Humane Law Enforcement.
Police said Kobe was found tied to a fence without access to food or water during a period when temperatures reached the high 90s.
Investigators determined Martinez took the dog from his residence the previous evening, tied him to the fence and walked away.
Authorities said Martinez later acknowledged leaving the dog at the park because he could no longer keep him.
Investigators also found that no arrangements had been made for another person to care for the dog.
Martinez was arrested Aug. 27 and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, a felony under New York State law.
"Kobe was completely dependent on the people responsible for his care, and instead, he was left tied to a fence with no one coming back for him," Yonkers Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza said.
Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace said Kobe was allegedly left "without food, water, or shelter" and died after being exposed to extreme heat and direct sunlight.
