Man accused of shooting family dog in Monessen
Notice: Undefined variable: article_ad_placement3 in /usr/web/cs-washington.ogdennews.com/wp-content/themes/News_Core_2023_WashCluster/single.php on line 128
MONESSEN – A Rostraver Township man was charged Wednesday with shooting a family dog while under the influence of alcohol last week in Monessen.
City police charged the suspect, James Scirotto, 46, of 195 Stump Road, with aggravated cruelty to animals and related offenses over accusations he fired seven shots from a handgun at the animal about 8 p.m. Oct. 1, court records show.
Scirotto was attending a birthday party at the time in the 1200 block of Marion Avenue when he claimed the dog was running loose, barking at people and appeared to be mean, police said in charging documents.
He fired several shots at the animal and was unsure if any of the bullets struck the 5-year-old dog. Scirotto told police he pursued the dog near its owners’ home and fired more shots, believing he shot the animal at that time.
One of the rounds struck the dog in the right back leg causing injuries that required two surgeries to repair, police state in the criminal complaint and affidavit.
Police said Scirotto had slurred speech and a .40-caliber handgun in the waist of his pants when officers arrived at the street.
The owners of the dog, Chad and Carley Layhue, told police the dog never bit anyone and must have gotten loose from its chain.
Chad Layhue also said his young children were inside their home at the time of the shooting and were “upset at the sight of their dog being shot.”
Scirotto also was charged in a summons with cruelty to animals, reckless endangerment and public drunkenness and cited for discharging a firearm in a prohibited area.