Matthew Savinovich: NJ man kills ex-lover's 3 dogs and ferret, faces 5 years in jail
PUTNAM COUNTY, NEW YORK: Matthew Savinovich, 27, of Norwood was arrested on Wednesday, October 6 for killing his ex-girlfriend’s pet ferret and three Chihuahuas in Upstate New York, authorities reported. Savinovich was arrested in connection to an Indictment charging him with 1 count of Felony Burglary, 4 counts of Aggravated Cruelty to Animals (Felony), 4 counts of Misdemeanor Animal Cruelty and 4 counts of Felony Criminal Mischief after allegedly killing his ex-girlfriend’s pets in Lake Peekskill, Putnam County SPCA noted.
Savinovich, a predicate felon with an extensive criminal record, faces a minimum of five years in state prison, Putnam County SPCA said in a statement. No information on the girlfriend was immediately available. In a similar incident, Michael Busico, a Utah native was arrested for allegedly stealing his ex-girlfriend's family dog, setting it on fire and leaving it on the side of the road. Natasha Brown, 25, of Stanley, County Durham killed her dog by violently punching him after her ex-girlfriend rejected her advances.
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"Matthew Savinovich is alleged to have killed his girlfriend’s three Chihuahuas and one ferret over the course of their relationship from December 2019 to November 2020. He was also charged with Bail Jumping, a Class A Misdemeanor, for failure to appear in Putnam Valley Court on other charges, " Putnam County SPCA informed in a statement.
Savinovich is being held at Putnam County jail in lieu of $100,000 cash or $500,000 bond. Multiple agencies were involved in the "lengthy investigation" that led to Savinovich's arrest, SPCA Chief Ken Ross said in a statement. "The cooperation and help we received from all these agencies was an invaluable resource. Studies have shown that those who commit animal cruelty eventually commit crimes against humans, " he said.
In August, this year, Savinovich, a repeat offender from Norwood was arrested after he assaulted a Fair Lawn liquor store manager who caught him shoplifting, authorities said. He had fled the ShopRite Liquors but returned to the Broadway store to retrieve a bag that he dropped Police Sgt Sean Macys said. Inside the bag were six bottles of shoplifted Patron tequila, Savinovich's cellphone and four used bags of heroin, along with a glass pipe. He was arrested then after Savinovich's name was matched to an alert issued by Northvale police for credit card fraud, the sergeant said.
Savinovich, who has a drug-related criminal history, was held in Bergen County Jail then and was charged with robbery, credit card crime, receiving stolen property and possession of drug paraphernalia.