Mastic woman pleads guilty after dog mauls toddler

A Mastic woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to a charge of reckless endangerment after a dog escaped from her Mastic home and mauled a 2-year-old boy and his uncle 18 months ago.

Amy Willi, 45, of Mastic, pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless endangerment after Kojo, a dog in her residence, attacked the child, who required stitches for multiple bites, according to a news release from the office of District Attorney Ray Tierney.

On March 14, 2023, Willi opened the front door to her Mastic home while the boy was playing in the front yard of his home across the street, authorities said. When she opened the door, authorities said Willi failed to adequately secure Kojo inside her home.

The dog then "dashed out the front door and headed straight toward the unsuspecting toddler," the release said. The child’s uncle, who was watching him play, picked him up in an effort to protect him. Kojo bit the uncle on his left forearm, causing the toddler to fall on the ground. The dog proceeded to bite the boy several times on his face, head, and leg, causing lacerations to his right eye, cheek, scalp, and leg.

Several family members ran outside the child’s home and forced the dog to release him, authorities said. He was rushed to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he received stitches for his injuries.

Willi admitted to law enforcement that she knew Kojo was "a dangerous dog with violent tendencies," according to the district attorney’s office.

Kojo was "ultimately captured and euthanized," a spokesperson for the district attorney confirmed Wednesday afternoon.

Gregory Kalmar, Willi’s Melville-based defense attorney, said Kojo was not Willi's dog, and that she was watching him for a family member. He said the dog "broke free from being tied up" prior to the attack.

"Mrs. Willi is extremely remorseful and has accepted responsibility for the family member's dog," Kalmar said via text message Wednesday afternoon. He added that Willi wants the injured child and his family "to know she would do anything for them not to have been hurt. She did not intend for this to happen but takes full responsibility."

As a condition of her guilty plea, Willi cannot own, possess or care for any animals for three years, according to the district attorney's office, which identified Kojo as Willi's dog. Prosecutors were not available Wednesday evening to respond to Kalmar's comments.

In a statement, Tierney said Kojo's "dangerous tendencies" and Willi's "failure to properly secure the animal led to an innocent child and his uncle sustaining serious injuries."

Tierney added that pet owners must take "necessary precautions" to ensure safety of their pets and the public, including "maintaining secure enclosures" and using leashes in public spaces.

"Failure to do so can lead to tragic consequences," he said.

Willi is due back in court for sentencing on Nov. 20.