Staff Reports
Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge Janice Robinson released a man charged with attempted murder after a stray bullet struck a service dog walking with a woman who has Down syndrome. Prosecutors wanted $150,000 bail, but the judge let the suspect go on a promise to appear. The result is a raw example of how New York’s new pretrial rules and judicial choices collide with public safety.
What happened near Green‑Wood Cemetery
Police say Adrian Benitez pulled a handgun during an argument near Green‑Wood Cemetery and fired at an intended target who was not hit. Instead, the round struck Honey, a 7‑year‑old Labradoodle that serves as the service dog for Teresa Pezzolla, a 64‑year‑old woman with Down syndrome. A veterinarian removed a .22‑caliber bullet and Honey survived. Benitez was arrested and arraigned on charges that include attempted murder, assault, weapons possession, reckless endangerment and aggravated cruelty to animals. He is due back in court in November.
The arraignment and the bail decision
Prosecutors asked the court to set bail at $150,000. Judge Janice Robinson refused and released Benitez on his own recognizance — meaning he walked out with only a promise to appear. That decision is not an isolated headline: reports show Judge Robinson has released numerous defendants without bail since she joined the criminal bench after being elected in 2024. Law‑enforcement sources are angry, and ordinary New Yorkers who worry about crime should be too.
Why this matters for public safety and accountability
Letting someone charged with attempted murder go free after a stray bullet nearly killed a service dog and could have killed a vulnerable woman sends the wrong message. Pretrial release rules are meant to protect the innocent from unnecessary detention, but when they let potentially dangerous people roam, victims pay the price. Voters chose this judge and the policies that shape the system, and now the consequences are playing out on city streets and sidewalks.
Conclusion
Honey is recovering, and the accused man is not behind bars while the case moves forward. That outcome will leave many New Yorkers wondering whether the system protects citizens or excuses danger. Common sense and safety should matter more than ideology. If the law is to mean anything, it must keep the vulnerable safe and hold the dangerous accountable — not leave them free to return to the same corners where fear and violence already live.
