Queens man charged with animal cruelty after allegedly killing and burning pit bull
July 30, 2025, 3:15 p.m.
Isaiah Gurley could face up to two years in prison if convicted.
A man was charged with animal cruelty, arson, petit larceny and reckless endangerment after allegedly burning a pit bull.
Police have arrested the man they say dragged a pit bull's lifeless body onto a public street in Queens and set it on fire last week.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Wednesday that 29-year-old Isaiah Gurley of Jamaica, Queens, was charged with animal cruelty, arson, petit larceny and reckless endangerment after allegedly killing the dog in South Ozone Park. If convicted, he faces up to two years in prison.
Gurley told police in an interview that he had been dog sitting for several days.
“I killed the dog by kicking it to death,” Gurley said, according to court records. “And I burned the dog’s body after it was already dead.”
According to the DA, surveillance footage captured Gurley stealing a bottle of oil from a deli on Rockaway Boulevard at around 4:40 a.m. on July 24.
About five minutes later, Gurley was seen on video footage lugging the pit bull's body by a leash along 116th Avenue before dousing it with oil and setting it on fire, authorities said.
“Animals are not punching bags,” Katz said in a statement. “They have every right to proper care, just as humans do. The allegations in this case are heart-wrenching.”
Police released a surveillance photo of Gurley and he was apprehended after a neighbor spotted him at the Queens Center Mall on Monday.
Gurley’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
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