The gunman who shot a service dog on a Brooklyn street was arrested Tuesday morning, police said.
Adrian Benitez, 29, was nabbed around 8:15 a.m. And charged with attempted murder, three counts of assault, criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment and aggravated cruelty to animals, police said. The arrest came nearly two weeks after the Aug. 19 shooting that wounded Honey, a 7-year-old Labradoodle who serves as a companion animal for Teresa Pezzolla, 64, who has Down Syndrome.
Benitez is accused of brazenly firing a round during a spat with a man who was talking to a woman on 31st Street near Fifth Avenue, near Greenwood Cemetery, around 5:45 p.m. That evening, law enforcement sources said. The intended target escaped unscathed — but a stray slug hit Honey, the sources said.
Honey was taken to a local animal hospital and miraculously survived the gunshot wound.
“The doctors there were able to pull a 22 caliber right out of the dog,” Pezzolla’s nephew previously told The Post.
“I’m thankful that the bullet didn’t hit my aunt because I think it would have been a lot worse,” he added.
The nephew’s relief underscored the potential for far greater tragedy had the bullet struck Pezzolla instead of her service animal. Service dogs like Honey provide critical assistance and companionship to individuals with disabilities, making the attack particularly disturbing to advocates and community members.
Benitez, who has no prior unsealed arrests, was awaiting arraignment Tuesday afternoon following his morning arrest. The charges include attempted murder, indicating prosecutors are treating the shooting with the gravity of a potential homicide case despite no human fatalities.
In the viral moment that preceded the arrest, Benitez allegedly opened fire during a street dispute in the Greenwood Heights neighborhood, sending a bullet through the busy Brooklyn corridor near the historic cemetery. The shooting occurred in the late afternoon on a summer weekday, with pedestrians and residents in the vicinity. Honey, who was with Pezzolla at the time, absorbed the gunfire meant for another target entirely.
The case drew attention both for its shocking randomness and for the vulnerable victim at its center — a service animal protecting a woman with a developmental disability. The fact that Honey survived what could have been a fatal wound became a small bright spot in an otherwise grim episode of street violence.
Benitez faces a significant prison sentence if convicted on the top counts. The aggravated cruelty to animals charge specifically addresses the harm to Honey, while the attempted murder charge stems from the alleged intent to shoot the man involved in the dispute.
The arraignment for Benitez was pending Tuesday afternoon.