NEW BRIGHTON — Police rescued three pit bulls — two badly bruised — that were trained and used for dog fighting by two men in their New Brighton homes, prosecutors said.
Two pit bulls between 3 and 6 years old, named Blue and Smoke, were found inside the Stanley Avenue homes of Luthman Sefu, 23, and Scott Perlmutter, 25, on Friday by police with "dog fighting scars" on their face, neck and feet, prosecutors said.
Sefu and Perlmutter trained Blue and Smoke and held dog fights in their neighboring Stanley Avenue homes from Jan. 1 to March 30, prosecutors said.
Police found adult pit bull Blue with "dog fighting scars" inside Scott Perlmutter's New Brighton home.
When police executed a search warrant of their homes Friday, they found a carpeted room in one with multiple stains, feces and a break-stick — used to break up dogs during a fight — inside, prosecutors said.
Police also rescued a one-year-old pit bull puppy named Royalty from Sefu's home, prosecutors said.
Both Sefu and Perlmutter were arrested and charged with animal fighting and torturing and injuring animals at their Friday arraignment, according to the Staten Island District Attorney's office.
Aside from the dogs, police also recovered a loaded .44 caliber gun, ammunition, crack, marijuana, a scale and empty packaging bags inside the two homes, prosecutors said.
