Pittsburgh-area official accused of shooting, killing his neighbor's dog with crossbow
SAXONBURG, Pa. (KDKA) — The Saxonburg borough manager is facing criminal charges after police said he confessed to shooting his neighbor's dog.
Saxonburg Borough Manager Steven May's attorney said his client shot and killed his neighbor's dog with a crossbow because he thought it was a coyote.
"It's hard," Gerri Goldscheitter said. "It's a daily reminder because he should be here with the other three."
Goldscheitter said it's normal for the family's four Australian Shepherds to wander around the 100-plus acre farm along Goldscheitter Road in Buffalo Township.
When the Bear did not come back one day in early November, fear set in.
"My daughter realized something had to be wrong. So, we went looking," Goldscheitter said.
For days, the family searched for their beloved dog by car, ATV and on foot, even plastering fliers across the area. Then on the third day of the search, the family got a call from May, a neighbor of theirs.
"Made it sound like someone hit him with a car and he picked him up," Goldscheitter said.
May later confessed to Saxonburg police that he shot the dog with a crossbow because he thought it was a coyote. He then, according to the criminal complaint, waited until it got dark and discarded the dead dog in a dumpster behind the borough building where he works as the borough manager.
"This was a misidentification," his attorney, Phil Dilucente, said. "It turned out to be a canine. He thought it was a coyote."
Dilucente said his client is an animal lover and feels horrible about what he did.
"My client is very remorseful, and we're just hopeful that he can put this in his past sooner than later," the attorney said.
Dilucente said May wants to make things right with the family and has offered to pay for a new dog.
KDKA-TV reached out to the mayor to find out what May's employment status is with the borough but did not hear back on Thursday. May was charged and released. His preliminary hearing is set for January.