Man Who Raped Dog to Death and Man Who Urinated on Drunken Friend Who Died Get Light Sentences

There may be pervs and assholes as bad as Keith Alan Raniere, a man who is likely to be sentenced to prison for decades.  Not of all of them will spend as much time in prison as he will.

There are probably few people who think Keith is likely to be sentenced too harshly no matter what sentence Judge Nichoilas G. Garaufis hands down when he sentences Vanguard sometime later this year.

On the other hand, there may be a few readers who might think these assholes I am about to tell you about got off a little too easy.

Sometimes prison sentences seem unfair, but the law is the law

In 2017, Samuel Heroux, now 22, of Cohoes, NY, [suburban Albany] went out drinking with his buddies, Liam McGlinchey, then 19, and Isaiah DePiazza, now 19.

They had quite a bit to drink and they dropped Liam off – so to speak – on his grandmother’s lawn, under a tree.  Liam was too drunk it seems to get inside the house without help and his drunken companions thought it was easier to allow him to sleep it off on the lawn.

Having had so much to drink, Samuel needed to urinate and chose to do so on Liam and cleverly he took a video of it.

He and Isaiah must have thought it funny that Liam was so drunk that he did not realize he was being pissed on.

It was not as funny the next day when Isaiah and Samuel sobered up to find Liam died of alcohol poisoning [.40 percent] on the grass where they left him.

Both friends were charged with criminally negligent homicide.

Sam secured a plea deal with the Saratoga district attorney’s office and was sentenced last week to six months in the Saratoga County Jail.

Saratoga County Court Judge James Murphy III said to Sam when he handed out his sentence, “Dumping Liam and urinating on him and filming the urination, seeing foam from dying Liam’s mouth — instead of doing something, you leave. A 911 call, a knock on the door, a drop at the hospital, a call for help would have saved his life…. The failure to act and care about anyone but yourself, the apathy and disregard for another person’s life is your pattern of behavior.”

DePiazza was sentenced to one to three years in state prison. He got the longer sentence not because of greater culpability but because he violated terms of his bail release.

***

Now here’s a fine rascal.

Fidel Lopez, 52, of Portland Oregon, was enjoying a few drinks waiting for his fiance to come home.

He got a little pissed when she did not get back in time so he raped her dog, a Lhapso Apso mix named Estella.

He was sentenced in April to three years of probation and 60 days in jail.

Multnomah County Circuit Judge Angel Lopez, [no relation] told Fidel Lopez that the law prohibits a longer sentence for sexually attacking a dog.

“If it could have been more, I gladly would have given you more time,” the judge said.

According to Oregon Live, “Lopez pleaded guilty to two felonies: first-degree aggravated animal abuse and sexual assault of an animal. He admitted he victimized the dog to sexually arouse himself…

“Police learned of the case after Fidel Lopez’s fiancee reported to police that she found her small dog whining and hiding beneath the couch on Nov. 18, 2018. Upon moving the couch to take a look at the dog, she found blood and injuries to the dog’s hind end… .

“She took the dog to the DoveLewis emergency hospital, where staff euthanized the dog because of significant internal injuries….

“Estrella’s owner asked that a rape kit be done because Fidel Lopez had expressed an interest in bestiality by exposing his genitals to the dog, bragging about watching another person sexually assault a dog and asking if his fiancee would ever consider getting a dog bigger than a Lhasa Apso mix, according to the affidavit.

“DNA evidence linked Fidel Lopez to the crime, investigators say.”

One hopes that upon Fidel’s release and at least while under supervision that he not be allowed to own a dog or date a woman with a dog. Perhaps restricting his alcohol intake might be a good idea also.

It is not clear if he will be required to register as a sex offender.

On the other hand, it is believed that Raniere, when he gets out, if he gets out, will be required to register as a sex offender.

Frank Parlato