NYC Judge Frees Man Accused of Shooting Service Dog of Woman with Down Syndrome While Attempting to Kill Man
A Brooklyn judge released Adrian Benitez, a 29-year-old man charged with attempted murder and other offenses, after a stray bullet hit a service dog walking with a woman with Down syndrome. Despite prosecutors requesting $150,000 bail,Judge Janice Robinson granted only a promise to appear,and benitez is scheduled to return to court in November. The shooting occurred near Green-Wood Cemetery, where Benitez allegedly fired during an argument, unintentionally striking Honey, a 7-year-old Labradoodle and service dog for Teresa Pezzolla. Honey survived after veterinary treatment. Critics note that the judge has a pattern of releasing defendants without bail, reflecting political choices favoring low or no bail for risky individuals. The incident highlights ongoing debates about bail policies and public safety in new York City.
A Brooklyn judge freed a man charged with attempted murder after a stray bullet hit a service dog walking with a woman who has Down syndrome.
Adrian Benitez, 29, was arraigned Tuesday on attempted murder, assault, weapons possession, reckless endangerment and aggravated cruelty to animals, the New York Post reported.
Prosecutors had asked for bail to be set at $150,000, but Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge Janice Robinson released the suspect with only a promise to appear.
Benitez is due back in court Nov. 24.
Brooklyn Judge Janice Robinson sprung a man charged with attempted m*rder after a stray bullet tore into a Down syndrome woman’s service dog.
Adrian Benitez, 29, was arraigned Tuesday on attempted m*rder, as$ault, a weapons count, reckless endangerment, and aggravated cruelty to… pic.twitter.com/xHkZnhIdWq
— Blue Lives Matter (@bluelivesmtr) August 27, 2026
Police said the shooting happened about 5:45 p.m. on Aug. 19 near Green-Wood Cemetery in Greenwood Heights.
Benitez allegedly pulled a handgun during an argument with a man who had been talking to a woman, the Post reported in its arrest story.
The intended target was not hit.
Instead, the round struck Honey, a 7-year-old Labradoodle.
Honey is the service dog of Teresa Pezzolla, 64, who has Down syndrome.
A veterinarian removed a .22-caliber bullet. The dog survived. Pezzolla’s nephew told the Post he was grateful the shot missed his aunt.
Benitez was arrested Tuesday morning. Court records cited by the Post said he had no prior unsealed arrests.
Robinson was elected in 2024 after years as an insurance lawyer and was recently moved onto the criminal bench.
In a review of 13 of her cases, the Post found eight defendants released with no bail — including two charged with attempted murder — and five given low bail.
A law-enforcement source complained that the judge was treating dangerous thugs like shoplifters. “Does it have to be a child in a stroller next time?” the source said.
Soft-on-bail politics did not arrive by accident — New York voters put Robinson on that bench.
City leaders spent years treating pretrial detention as the scandal and street shootings as the background noise.
When a leftist judge cuts loose a defendant charged with attempted murder after a service dog takes the bullet, it is not a glitch. It is the system working as designed.
Democracies get the officials they elect. Brooklyn elected this one.
The next hearing is in November. Honey is recovering. The man accused of firing the shot is not in a cell.
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