Deputies: Man Beat Dog to Death During Burglary

Updated, 4:34 p.m.:

Bond for the suspect was increased to $46,000 on Monday, Sarasota County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Wendy Rose said.

Earlier:

A man is charged with beating a dog to death during a burglary at a Sarasota automotive shop, authorities said Monday.

The 61-year-old suspect was seen on surveillance video beating the dog with a tire iron at John's Automotive, 1815 Snug Harbor Pl., the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office reports.

The business owner had reported the 4-year-old mastiff, "Ashton," missing on Sunday morning, officials said. Later that day, the owner reviewed surveillance video and saw the beating by a man he later identified as 52-year-old Kevin Koscielniak, an employee who was asked to leave a day earlier after causing a disturbance.

Investigators say Koscielniak climbed over a barbed wire fence, killed the dog, and wrapped it in a blanket. The man cut the fence to the adjacent business, Casey's Auto, dragged the dog onto that property and buried it there, detectives allege.

Koscielniak, who does not have a permanent address, was located by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and arrested.

He is charged with one count of cruelty to animals resulting in death, one count of improper disposal of dead animals, two counts of burglary, one count of tampering with evidence and one count for damaging the fence, authorities said. He was being held on $7,620 bond.

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