Frank Perlongo has been walking his dogs in Riverside’s Harrington Park for the past 18 years, and he says he never encountered any trouble. Until Tuesday.
The 56-year-old independent electrical contractor from Lyons stopped at the park, located at Delaplaine Road and Robinson Court, just after 8 p.m. to give his 1-year-old Lhasa Apso, Benny, a little air.
A customer called his cellphone, said Perlongo as he was letting Benny out of the car into the park. Perlongo stayed in the car to talk while Benny sniffed around in the grass, unleashed.
“I got tied up with the phone call,” said Perlongo.
Just then, Riverside resident Daniel Maskill and his wife were riding home from the gas station, where they filled up a container with gasoline. According to Perlongo, Maskill rode by and then backtracked to confront him about his dog.
According to Riverside police, Maskill told Perlongo to put Benny on a leash. And then Perlongo cracked wise.
“I told him he’s got an invisible leash,” Perlongo said. “He took offense. I just worked a 10-hour day. I was thinking, who the hell is this guy?”
But things reportedly escalated when Benny came back toward Perlongo’s car, where Maskill was standing. Maskill, 53, told police he felt threatened by the 15-pound dog.
“He said, if the dog comes closer, I’ll pour gas on him,” said Riverside Detective Sgt. David Krull. “As they were arguing Maskill poured gas on the dog.”
“I couldn’t believe what I was watching,” said Perlongo, who got out of his car and pushed Maskill to the ground. Maskill’s wife called police; moments later Perlongo also called them, said Krull. Officers arrived three minutes later, according to the police report.
During the argument, according to police, Maskill also threatened to pour gas on Perlongo and light him on fire. Perlongo estimated that “about a cup” of gasoline was poured over Benny’s back. The dog wasn’t hurt, and Perlongo “got him home right away and bathed him” before filing his complaint with police that evening.
Perlongo, who has been known to ride through the village on a red scooter with his dog in his lap, said Benny never threatened Maskill. Police reported the dog was friendly to the responding officer.
“He’s a puppy. He’ll lick you to death,” said Perlongo. “He only weighs 15 pounds. He never barks or growls. He ain’t got a mean bone in his body. Why would it even enter his mind to do that? Benny got so scared he ran in the car and wouldn’t come out.”
A man answering the phone at Maskill’s Riverside home said Maskill wasn’t immediately available to talk with the Landmark.
Police charged Maskill with cruelty to an animal and assault. He will appear in court at Maybrook on June 17. Perlongo was given a $25 ticket for airing his dog without a leash.
“It’s just a bizarre thing,” Perlongo said.