Man who stole and drowned girlfriend’s dog sentenced to maximum prison sentence

On February 28 in a Carroll County, Maryland, courtroom, Anthony Michael Muniz, aka “Tony,” was found guilty of tying a cinderblock to his girlfriend’s dog, “Roscoe,” and tossing the black and white pit bull mix into the Liberty Reservoir. The heinous act went down in February 2017.  Roscoe’s drowned remains were recovered on February 28, 2017, after Animal Control officers from the Humane Society of Carroll County responded to the reservoir for a report of a dead dog floating in the water, according to The Baltimore Sun.

The fact that Roscoe was microchipped led investigators directly to Muniz, according to CBS News in Baltimore.  Immediately after being found guilty of one felony count of animal cruelty, one misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment, one count of trespassing and six other misdemeanor charges related to animal cruelty or abandonment, Muniz was sentenced to the maximum sentence allowable for his offenses, three years in jail.

In a cruel and elaborate hoax designed to “send a hurtful message to his girlfriend,” Muniz reportedly stole Roscoe from his girlfriend, presented the dog to a rescue facility as being a lost stray, then adopted the dog from the rescue facility, and then drowned Roscoe by tying a cinderblock around his neck and throwing him in the reservoir.

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A man fishing in the reservoir saw Roscoe floating in the water – still tied to the cinderblock. During Muniz’s two-day trial, prosecutors heard expert testimony stating that Roscoe could have been strangled to death prior to being tossed into the reservoir. Roscoe was tied to that cinderblock with a leash and an electric cord tied around his neck.

“To treat a dog that way it shows an incredible amount of disregard not only for an animal’s life, but ultimately at times it concerns us about human life,” said Carroll County State’s Attorney Brian Deleonardo.

“My office will aggressively prosecute the abuse or mistreatment of animals. Often people who mistreat and abuse animals pose a much greater risk to the public and are more likely to commit other crimes. I hope this conviction and sentence sends a warning to anyone who would engage in such conduct in the future.” ~ per WJZ in Baltimore

The investigation into Roscoe’s drowning was undertaken and coordinated by several agencies, including Animal Control officers from the Humane Society of Carroll County, the Baltimore Environmental Police and The State’s Attorney’s Office. The 37-year-old Muniz was a resident of Reisterstown, Maryland.

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~ Written by: Richard Webster, Ace News Today   /   Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter