BRONX MAN IS SENTENCED TO ONE YEAR IMPRISONMENT FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that a 33 year-old Bronx man has been sentenced to one year in jail for torturing a four year-old Shih Tzu dog last September.

Gregory Calderon, of 1020 Boynton Avenue, appeared before Bronx Criminal Court Judge Harold Adler and pled guilty to 1 count of "Overdriving, torturing and injuring animals", a class "A" misdemeanor offense under the Agriculture and Markets Law §353. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Calderon, a predicate felon, waived his right to an early release and was sentenced to the maximum term of one-year imprisonment.

The dog’s owner Melody Medina, had left the animal in the care of her brother in-law, Calderon, and his mother. When Medina telephoned her in-laws home on September 14, 2003, she was told that her dog was injured and bleeding.

Medina took her dog to the hospital where it was determined that the animal had been severely burned on its lower abdominal and rump areas. Further examination also revealed blood in the white parts of both eyes, and bruising of the skin around both eyes. Calderon later admitted that he beat and burned the dog with hot water. The dog has permanent vision loss

Assistant District Attorney Kiran C. Vashishta of the Investigations Bureau prosecuted this case.