Police say the attack happened Sunday afternoon on New Dorp Lane; the dog was seized and the investigation is ongoing.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A 59-year-old man died Sunday after a pit bull attacked him inside a home on New Dorp Lane, according to police, who said officers responded just after 4 p.m. and found the victim with widespread bite wounds before he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities said the case remains under active investigation as they work to determine who owns the dog and whether any crime occurred. The attack drew officers from the NYPD’s 122nd Precinct and emergency medical crews to the New Dorp neighborhood on the borough’s East Shore. Officials said the city’s medical examiner will determine the man’s cause and manner of death. The dog was removed from the address by animal-control partners for evaluation. Police did not immediately release the victim’s name pending family notification.
Officers were called to the two-story residence shortly after a 911 report of a “vicious animal” inside the home. Patrol units entered and located the man with multiple wounds to his body consistent with a dog attack, police said. The confrontation occurred inside the home, and there were other people present when officers arrived, according to preliminary accounts. A responding EMS crew declared the man dead on scene a short time later. “No arrests have been made,” the NYPD said. A pit bull that was inside the residence was secured by authorities and taken for holding and observation after the attack.
Police said the address sits near Miller Field in New Dorp. Investigators from the 122nd Precinct and detectives are interviewing occupants and neighbors to reconstruct the moments before the mauling and establish the dog’s ownership. The animal, a male pit bull identified by officials as “Bean,” is being held on a 10-day rabies observation, standard procedure after a bite that results in death, according to city animal-care officials. Detectives are also reviewing prior calls for service at the location, which they said included earlier responses but did not detail the nature of those calls. The pit bull was transported into city custody after officers secured the home.
Investigators said the victim had multiple injuries, including bites to the arms and thighs. The medical examiner’s office will conduct an autopsy and issue an official cause of death. As of Monday morning, police had not said whether the victim lived full-time at the address; neighbors and officials said he had been staying there with someone who resides in the home. Officers from the 122nd Precinct maintained a perimeter on the block for several hours after the attack, and crime scene tape ringed the front yard while detectives documented evidence inside.
The New Dorp section of Staten Island is a largely residential area on the South Shore with single- and two-family homes clustered along New Dorp Lane, a commercial corridor that runs toward the coastline and Miller Field. Fatal attacks by dogs are uncommon in New York City; most police responses involve minor bites or dogs at large. The case drew attention in part because it occurred indoors and resulted in a death before first responders arrived. Animal-control officials said the dog will remain isolated during the rabies hold; blood tests and behavioral observations are expected as part of the review. City law allows authorities to seek a dangerous-dog proceeding in civil court depending on investigative findings.
Police said the investigation will determine whether any criminal charges are warranted, which could include counts related to negligent control of an animal if evidence supports it. Detectives will weigh witness statements, veterinary records, any prior complaints linked to the address, and scene documentation. If a dangerous-dog petition is filed, the dog’s disposition would be decided in court. The NYPD said updates on the case, including the victim’s identity, will be released after next of kin are notified. Officials did not provide a timeline for when the medical examiner’s report will be completed.
Neighbors gathered behind the police tape Sunday evening as forensic teams worked inside the house. One woman who asked not to be named said she had seen the pit bull in the area before and believed the animal had been mistreated. “This dog was abused,” she said. “They didn’t want the dog in there.” Another neighbor described hearing sirens and seeing officers arrive in minutes. A passerby photographed the block as animal-control officers led a muzzled dog to a waiting vehicle. Residents said they were shaken by the rare and violent episode in an otherwise quiet stretch of New Dorp Lane.
As of Monday afternoon, police had not released the victim’s name and no charges had been filed. Detectives planned additional interviews and were awaiting the medical examiner’s findings. The dog remains in city custody on a rabies observation hold. Officials said they expect to provide the next update after the autopsy is completed and family members are notified.
Author note: Last updated January 19, 2026.