WESTFIELD — After a dangerous hearing on Dec. 23 in District Court for two men charged by police for animal cruelty and the malicious killing of a pet rabbit during a Thanksgiving party were found dangerous but released with a host of conditions.
Gabriel Nava, 20, of Narragansett Boulevard, Chicopee, and Alexey Dimoglo, 21, of Bliss Street, West Springfield, have been held without bail since being arrested on Dec. 12 for the two felonies awaiting the outcome of a dangerousness hearing.
After the hearing, Nava and Dimoglo were released after a $10,000 surety bond was posted for each and ordered to abide to several conditions.
For Nava, the conditions include not committing additional crimes, looking for work, starting or maintaining an education program, not contacting the victims or potential witnesses, not possess any firearms, refrain from excessive use of alcohol or narcotic drugs, and not engage in any social media activity, according to court records.
Dimoglo, who has been charged in the past with wanton destruction of property less than $1,200, larceny over $1,200, attempt to commit a crime in Springfield District Court, was placed under house arrest with a relative in West Springfield, ordered to wear a GPS tracking device, not contact the victims or potential witnesses, not possess any firearms, refrain from excessive use of alcohol or narcotic drugs, reporting to probation on a regular basis, and not engage in any social media activity, according to court records.
Nava will be allowed to access social media but only in the presence of an investigator retained by counsel for the purpose of gathering evidence for his defense.
The charges resulted from an incident that occurred during the early morning hours of Nov. 28 at a duplex on Mechanic Street, according to court records.
Dimoglo picked up a pet rabbit named Pumpernickel owned by one of the people at the party and dropped it after he claimed it bit him on the hand, according to a police report of the incident.
Moments later, Dimoglo “aggressively” picked up the rabbit again by its ears, held it in the air, and then “forcefully” threw it to the floor, police reported.
Witnesses, who contacted police about the incident, said the rabbit began moving towards its cage while “struggling to breathe,” police reported.
Minutes later, the rabbit was unable to move its front legs before it rolled on its side and began shaking, police reported.
Nava then picked up the injured rabbit, walked to the back porch of the apartment with it in his hands, and threw it like a “football” into the parking lot, police said.
After the rabbit hit the pavement, Nava walked toward it like he was going to pick it up but was talked out of it by those at the party, police said.
The incident was recorded on a surveillance camera and either Nava or Dimoglo could be heard in the background saying, “we just committed a murder,” while laughing, police said.
Minutes later Dimoglo recorded himself with a cell phone scooping a betta fish, also known as a Siamese fighting fish, out of a fish tank and then dropping it on the floor. It was found dead later in the tank’s filter, police said.
Later that day, friends of those who attended the party messaged Nava and Dimoglo on various social media sites and let them know they were upset over what happened, police said.
Dimoglo responded by posting an image of a firearm with a red laser sight with the message, “This [expletive] Bullet ID.” Nava posted a similar image with the message: “And to all the people who wanna believe that stfu and come meet the beam. I aint do [expletive],” police said.
Later that day, police said, Dimoglo posted a photo of a man leaning against a car with the message, “How bro looks after drinking raw animal blood.”
Nava was arrested at his home in Chicopee. Dimoglo was arrested at a motel in West Springfield.
If convicted, the men could face seven years in prison, or not more than two and a half years in the House of Correction or be fined not more than $5,000, or both.
