Man Sought for Dragging and Setting Dog on Fire in Queens

Summary:
The NYPD Animal Cruelty Squad is searching for a man accused of dragging a motionless dog and setting it on fire in South Ozone Park, Queens. The suspect fled the scene and remains at large.

The New York City Police Department Animal Cruelty Squad is searching for a man who allegedly set a dog on fire after dragging it down a street.

Witnesses reported seeing the man dragging a motionless dog at around 4:45 a.m. Thursday near 128th Street and 116th Avenue in South Ozone Park, Queens, the NYPD said Saturday.

The man allegedly poured an accelerant on the dog and ignited it, police said.

He fled the scene on foot after the animal was set on fire, according to investigators.

Police released pictures of the man they are looking for. They said he is wanted in connection with an arson.

The man was last seen wearing a maroon sweatshirt with a Polo logo in tan lettering across the chest, gray pants, and a light brown MCM backpack, officials said.

The New York City Police Department Animal Cruelty Squad is searching for a man who allegedly set a dog on fire after he dragged it down a street in Queens on Thursday, July 24, 2025.

Police said the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was notified about the investigation.

The ASPCA said they are working with the NYPD and will perform a necropsy on the dog.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips may also be submitted via their website or direct message on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.

Residents who live in the neighborhood say the crime is sickening, and they hope the suspect is found.

"I think that's pretty wild," one person said. "For someone to have that mentality and to do such a thing is really, really crazy."

"These people are inhumane. They're not human," resident Ganesh Narain said. "To set a dog on fire is ridiculous. The law needs to deal with these kinds of people ... It is concerning because if they can do it to a dog, maybe they could do it to a human being too."