Man arrested for beating dog to death

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man for beating a dog to death and burglarizing two local businesses where the crime occurred.

On Sunday, April 28, morning, the owner arrived at John’s Automotive on Snug Harbor Place in Sarasota and called the sheriff’s office to report that a four-year-old Mastiff named “Ashton” was missing.

Later that day, the owner reviewed video surveillance and saw horrific images of a man beating his dog to death, according to a press release from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

When deputies returned, the owner identified the suspect at Kevin Koscielniak, 53, no permanent address, an employee who was asked to leave the business Saturday after causing a disturbance.

The investigation determined that Koscielniak climbed over a barbed wire fence, killed the dog, then cut the fence to Casey’s Auto, an adjacent business, dragged the dog onto that property and buried it there, according to the press release.

Koscielniak was located by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and arrested. He is charged with one count of cruelty to animals resulting in death, one count of improper disposal of dead animals, two counts of burglary, one count of tampering with evidence and one count for damaging the fence. He is being held on $7,620 bond.