MASTIC WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT AFTER HER DOG MAULS TODDLER AND BITES TODDLER’S UNCLE

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced Amy Willi, 45, of Mastic, pleaded guilty to Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, after her dog “Kojo” mauled a two-year-old boy and attacked the toddler’s uncle when he was attempting to protect the child.

“The defendant’s dog’s dangerous tendencies coupled with her failure to properly secure the animal led to an innocent child and his uncle sustaining serious injuries,” District Attorney Tierney. “Pet owners must understand the serious responsibility that comes with owning animals. Necessary precautions pet owners must take to ensure the safety of their pets, and the community include maintaining secure enclosures, using leashes in public areas, and not leaving their animals unattended where they could potentially escape. Failure to do so can lead to tragic consequences, as seen in this case.”

According to court documents and the defendant’s admissions during her guilty plea allocution, on March 14, 2023, Willi opened the front door to her residence while a two-year-old boy was playing in the front yard of his home across the street. At the time she opened the door, Willi failed to adequately secure Kojo inside her home.

Kojo dashed out the front door and headed straight towards the unsuspecting toddler. The toddler’s uncle, who had been watching him while he played, picked up his nephew to protect him from the dog. Kojo bit the uncle on his left forearm causing the toddler to fall to the ground. Kojo then bit the boy multiple times on his face, head, and leg, causing lacerations to his right eye, cheek, scalp, and leg.

The attack only stopped when several family members ran outside the home and forced the dog to release the child. The toddler was rushed to the emergency room at Stony Brook University Hospital where he received stitches for his injuries.

Willi admitted to law enforcement that she knew Kojo was a dangerous dog with violent tendencies.

On September 25, 2024, Willi pleaded guilty to Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor, before Acting County Court Judge F. Scott Carrigan. As a condition of her plea, prosecutors required that Willi not be permitted to own, possess, or care for any animals for three years.

Willi is due back in court for sentencing on November 20, 2024, and she is being represented by Gregory Kalmar, Esq.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Adriana Noyola of the Biological Environmental Animal Safety Team (BEAST), and the investigation was conducted by members of the Suffolk County Police Department’s District Attorney Squad.

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Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

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