Long Island

NY Man Arrested for Choking, Throwing Dog to the Ground

The dog named Princess was taken to an animal hospital for evaluation after the attack

What to Know

  • A Long Island man allegedly choked a dog and threw it to the ground several times in an incident that was caught on video
  • William Anthony Roberts, 47, of Bay Ridge, was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals after the incident, the Suffolk County SPCA said
  • The dog named Princess was taken to an animal hospital for evaluation

A Long Island man allegedly choked a dog and threw it to the ground several times in an incident that was caught on video.

Video taken by a witness showed William Anthony Roberts, 47, of Bay Shore, choking a female pit bull by lifting her off her feet by the collar before “repeatedly [throwing her] to the ground” in a McDonald’s parking lot in Bay Shore, the Suffolk County SPCA said.

The SPCA launched an investigation after the video was posted on social media, and Roberts was arrested on Friday, the agency said.

Roberts was charged with cruelty to animals and was expected to appear in court on Saturday, the SPCA said.

The dog named Princess was taken to an animal hospital for evaluation. It wasn’t immediately clear if Roberts was the dog’s owner.

His attorney information wasn’t immediately available Saturday.

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