A 36-year-old St. Paul man is facing felony charges after he allegedly stabbed two dogs, killing one of them, and strangled his girlfriend during a domestic dispute that erupted over his refusal to move out of their shared home. Deondre Johnny Leshawn Hirocho was charged with two counts of animal torture, one count of threats of violence and one count of domestic assault by strangulation following the October 10 incident in the city's Dayton's Bluff neighborhood.
St. Paul officers were sent to the Reaney Avenue home near Johnson Parkway after a woman called 911 to report that her sister's boyfriend had stabbed the dogs, stolen items and fled down an alley, according to the criminal complaint detailed by the Pioneer Press. Hirocho and his girlfriend had been living together on Reaney Avenue, but she had asked him to move out; when he refused, she extended the deadline, the complaint states.
The woman told investigators Hirocho had a long history of violence against her. She said he stayed at the house Friday night and had been slamming things around the house and berating her. On the day of the incident, he allegedly sent her repeated threatening texts and calls while she was at work, at one point telling her she would not live past that day.
Girlfriend Says She Was Choked Against a Wall
According to the complaint, Hirocho assaulted his girlfriend by backing her into a wall and squeezing her throat. About 20 minutes after she texted her sister about the assault, the girlfriend's sister called 911 to report the dogs had been stabbed. Hirocho's sister, who also lived at the address, told police she saw him running from her bedroom and chased him down an alley before returning home to find blood in the house and both dogs injured.
Hirocho later called his girlfriend, laughing, and said something similar to “prove it was me,” the complaint states. Police say he denied stabbing the dogs when questioned.
One Dog Euthanized, the Other Stitched Up
Petey, a pitbull mix, was stabbed in the head, knee, neck and stomach while confined in a cage and required stitches at an emergency veterinary clinic, according to the complaint. Princess, who was half pitbull and half cane corso, suffered lacerations to her neck, jaw and eyes along with brain swelling, and had to be euthanized at the clinic because of the severity of her injuries.
Hirocho contacted dispatch from the Arlington Recreation Center in St. Paul around 3:35 p.m. that day, and officers arrested him there. He told police he had found his vehicle's trunk open with his PlayStation 5 missing, and said he had entered his girlfriend's sister's bedroom, found what he believed was the stolen console, and left. An attorney representing Hirocho had no immediate comment when reached Tuesday, per the Pioneer Press report.
Pets Often Become Targets in Abusive Relationships
The case reflects a pattern researchers have documented nationally in domestic violence cases. National data compiled by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence shows that 71% of domestic violence survivors report their abuser threatened, injured or killed a family pet as a means of maintaining coercive control. Criminological analysis of federal domestic violence data further indicates that nearly 85% of animal cruelty incidents occurring alongside intimate partner violence involve intentional physical violence or torture rather than neglect, according to the Domestic Violence Services Network.
Only 20% of U.S. domestic violence shelters can accommodate pets on-site. Limited pet-friendly shelter space can lead victims to delay leaving an abusive partner for fear of their pet's safety.
What Minnesota Law Allows
Minnesota law treats both alleged crimes as serious felonies. Under Minnesota Statute § 343.21, Subdivision 9(d), intentionally causing death or great bodily harm to a pet to threaten, intimidate or terrorize another person carries up to four years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to the Minnesota Revisor's Office. Domestic assault by strangulation under Minnesota Statute § 609.2247 is classified as an automatic felony punishable by up to three years in prison and a $5,000 fine, regardless of an offender's prior criminal history.
Minnesota's Domestic Abuse Act also gives victims specific legal protections tied to their pets. Under § 518B.01, courts issuing Orders for Protection can grant victims sole custody of companion animals and explicitly order abusers not to physically harm them, according to WomensLaw.org. Separately, tenants who fear imminent domestic violence are legally permitted under § 504B.206 to break a lease early without penalty by submitting written notice and qualifying documentation to their landlord.
Charges against Hirocho were filed Monday in Ramsey County. Anyone experiencing domestic abuse in the St. Paul area can reach the St. Paul & Ramsey County Domestic Abuse Intervention Project's 24-hour crisis line at 651-645-2824, or contact Day One's statewide Minnesota crisis hotline at 866-223-1111 or by text at 612-399-9995.
