CARMEL, NEW YORK – April 28, 2022 – Putnam County District Attorney Robert V. Tendy announced today the conviction of Matthew Savinovich, a New Jersey resident, who systematically and brutally killed his ex-girlfriends’ pets in her Lake Peekskill home. Savinovich pled guilty on April 26 to two counts of Aggravated Cruelty to Animals, one count of Torturing Animals, and one count of Attempted Burglary in the Second Degree. The defendant faces between three and seven years in state prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July 5, 2022.

Savinovich admitted to killing two of his ex-girlfriend’s chihuahua’s by slamming them against a wall in the ex-girlfriend’s Lake Peekskill home. Savinovich also admitted to killing his ex-girlfriend’s ferret by crushing it to death by intentionally dropping a mattress and box spring on top of it.

“This is one of the worst examples of Animal Cruelty that I have ever seen” said Tendy. The case took a lot of time and work to put together—there were no witnesses, and no one knew what had happened or why. The team did a phenomenal job, and as a result this defendant will serve state prison time for the brutality that he intentionally inflicted on these innocent and defenseless animals”.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Nicholas LaStella. District Attorney Tendy thanked Criminal Investigator Jaemie Caban, also of the District Attorney’s Office, as well as Chief Kenneth Ross of the Putnam County SPCA, Detective Sergeant Kenneth Ross III, also of the Putnam County SPCA, and Investigators Matthew Shelters and Paul Piazza of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in the case.

22-04 PUTNAM DA PRESS RELEASE – Matthew Savinovich