By Mark Hallum
A Fresh Meadows man was charged with throwing his ex-girlfirend’s pug off the balcony of a seven-story building last week, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
Yuk Cheung, a 35-year-old from around Parsons Boulevard, allegedly killed the 12-year-old dog on St. Patrick’s Day after a dispute with the owner, Jennifer Chan, about where she would find an apartment that allowed pets, according to the DA. Cheung is alleged to have told the woman she “would not have to worry about the dog anymore” before taking the pug out to the balcony of Chan’s 40th Road home and coming back without her, a release from the DA said.
“The defendant is accused of aggravated cruelty to animals for killing a helpless dog by viciously throwing her from a balcony, from which she fell approximately 70 feet to the street below,” Brown said. “Such acts of aggression toward defenseless animals cannot – and will not – be tolerated in Queens County.”
The DA said Cheung gave three different accounts of the incident. He first told Chan the dog had slipped. However, detectives were told by Cheung he had slipped while carrying the dog, and so it fell to its death. He would later say the dog leapt from his arms and fell through the metal rails of the balcony, according to prosecutors.
Cheung found the animal dead on the ground below and packed her body in a box full of ice before dumping the body in a nearby trash receptacle.
Detectives determined that the balcony not only extends about six feet from the building, but beyond is a landing that extends about 25 feet. The scene led the detectives to conclude that Cheung propelled the pug about 40 feet to clear those markers before her body could make it to the spot where she ultimately landed.
Cheung is charged with aggravated cruelty to animals with bail set at $10,000, the DA said. His next court date is April 4, and Cheung faces about two years in prison if found guilty.
The event followed a similar incident, this time in Long Island City.
Dorian Quezada, 21, was sentenced on the same charges last week after throwing a dog out of third story window in Long Island City in August 2016. Quezada had pleaded guilty last month to the incident, which resulted in injuries to the mixed-breed Chihuahua who survived his brush with death.
A bystander saw the animal fall and Quezada walking away from the window, Brown said. The Chihuahua was yelping in pain with blood coming from its mouth.
According to the DA, Quezada will spend a year in prison and must register with the city as an animal abuser.
“It is hard to imagine that someone would do something so cruel to their pet,” Brown said. “My office takes a strong stand against any and all animal cruelty and is committed to aggressively enforcing the laws that protect animals from harm. The defendant in this case will go to jail and will be barred from owning any animals for a lengthy period of time.”
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall
