A Bucks County man is behind bars on $1 million bail after he allegedly shot his dog and then burned it in his firepit last week.
Nikolay Lukyanchikov, 49, of Northampton, has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, discharging a firearm into an occupied structure and related offenses in connection with the April 30 incident.
Police were dispatched to a residence on Holly Knoll Drive at 7:12 a.m. on Friday for a report of an open fire in the front yard of the residence. Upon arrival, police made contact with the property owner — identified as Lukyanchikov — who was sitting on a couch near the fire with a handgun lying on the right side of couch, police said.
Police described Lukyanchikov as “incredibly intoxicated” and unable to speak, and added that he was setting $100 bills on fire with lighter fluid in a small metal fire pit in front of him, according to a report from Vinny Vella at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Once the fire was extinguished, police observed the body of a badly burned and charred animal, which was later determined to be Lukyanchikov’s dog, according to investigators.
Inside of the home, police spoke with Lukyanchikov’s roommate, who stated that she had heard gunfire from his room earlier in the day and added that Lukyanchikov admitted to shooting his dog with his handgun and hiding it outside, according to the Inquirer report. Additionally, investigators found bullet holes in one of the home’s bedrooms, as well as “blood and gore” in the hallway of the residence, according to the report.
Lukyanchikov was taken into custody and arraigned later that evening by Magisterial District Judge Mark Douple, who set bail at 10% of $1 million bail. Prosecutors told the Inquirer that due to the nature of the incident and their belief that Lukyanchikov poses a danger to the public, they argued for a high bail.
Court records do not reflect Lukyanchikov having hired an attorney at this time. His next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on May 20 at 2 p.m. in front of Magisterial District Judge C. Robert Roth.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
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