The man accused of abusing a dog that came to be known as Puppy Doe over two years ago was sentenced yesterday for larceny charges brought against him in a case relating to the owner of the animal. Radoslaw Czerkawski, a 34 year old Polish immigrant, was found guilty of theft—he had stolen over $130,000 from the elderly dementia patient he had been entrusted to care for. The patient, 95 year old Janina Stock, passed away in August of 2013, and at the time of her death those investigating the matter had discovered that Czerkawski had been stealing her assets as well as neglecting to actually care for the woman. A report claims that in the entirety of the time that Czerkawski spent taking care of Janina Stock, which was roughly seven months or so, he never once took her to her see a doctor. He would frequently leave her alone while he made overnight trips to Connecticut. And according to investigators, he also severely abused, mutilated, and starved the woman’s dog.
The family of Janina Stock is still in shock about what had taken place right under their noses. They expressed a great sense of disbelief and confusion. Radoslaw Czerkawski had apparently informed the Stock family that he was in the country to become a priest. Now he has already stood trial for larceny and faces up to three to five years at MCI-Cedar Junction state prison for his crimes. He is scheduled for a hearing on August 14th, at which time they could potentially set a trial date for his animal cruelty charges. A man that was hired by an elderly woman’s grandchildren to be her constant companion and to provide her with the care she so desperately needed, violated every possible aspect of her life shortly before her death.
Janina Stock’s grandson, 38 year old Igor Gierymski, spoke out about what happened inside of the Dedham District Court room where Czerkawski’s sentencing took place. He was called upon for a victim-impact statement in order to show the consequences of these crimes. Gierymski said, “We hope and pray that no other family or animal falls victim in the future. The cruelty suffered by Puppy Doe is unimaginable, and we are deeply saddened that this occurred in our family’s house.” Those closely following the case from an animal cruelty perspective have said that they are touched that Gierymski acknowledged the abuse Puppy Doe had faced—especially since he was facing the tragedy of what had happened to his cherished grandmother. He went on to say that, “…the burden of knowing that we trusted the defendant to care for our frail, beloved grandmother is a heavy burden.” Igor Gierymski has said that he and his sister felt as though Radoslaw Czerkawski would be the right individual to care for their grandmother because, like Janina Stock, Czerkawski was also from Poland. They hoped that this connection would help their grandmother feel more comfortable with having a live-in companion. They had no idea what horrors they would face by hiring this man.
Radoslaw Czerkawski declined to comment on the situation or his charges while he was facing his sentencing at court. His attorney for the case, John Gibbons, has stated that Czerkawski had been placed in solitary confinement for the two years leading up to his trial purely based on the infamy he amassed when Puppy Doe had been discovered abused and abandoned in the park just a few short days before Janina Stock passed away. To those who have been closely following the case since it first began to develop, solitary confinement seems fitting for the crimes Czerkawski committed.
Quotes and additional information can be found at the following links:
http://www.necn.com/news/new-england/Puppy-Doe-Suspect-Sentenced-to-Jail-317846001.html