PARK SLOPE — Authorities are asking dog owners who've had run-ins with the man who allegedly stabbed a pooch in Prospect Park to step forward.
Law enforcement officials are hoping to track down other pet owners who crossed paths with Donnell Barden, a 42-year-old convicted felon who allegedly attacked a dog with an ice pick and threatened to knife the animal's owner during a violent confrontation in May.
Barden was arrested Aug. 5 in connection with the vicious incident. He has since been released from custody after posting bail and is due back in court in February, according to court records.
Barden was well-known — and feared — by Prospect Park dog owners because he had a reputation for ordering his pit bull to attack other canines, said Eric Barstad, a dog owner who witnessed the May attack and helped post fliers in the park warning people about Barden.
Court records show that Barden was charged with reckless endangerment in connection with an Aug. 2 incident, but it's not clear whether it was another dog attack. The Brooklyn District Attorney's office could not be reached immediately for comment on Tuesday.
There is at least one other alleged victim in addition to the person involved in the May attack, according to a letter from a Brooklyn deputy district attorney posted on the Facebook page for FIDO (Fellowship in the Interest of Dogs and their Owners).
Barden was ordered to stay away from both victims and their dogs at his arraignment, and if he approaches them, he can be arrested immediately, Deputy District Attorney Dianne Malone said in the letter.
The District Attorney's Office "is interested in speaking with other people who have had incidents with the defendant," Malone said, and any other victims who come forward will also be issued orders of protection.
Malone's letter also addressed Barden's release on $2,500 bail, which outraged some dog owners. One commenter on FIDO called Barden's release "seriously messed up."
Malone said she "could understand why the defendant's release on bail is upsetting." She noted that prosecutors "requested that a higher bail amount be set, but the ultimate determination is at the court's sole discretion."
Barden served 17 years in prison after a 1993 conviction for attempted murder and robbery, Department of Corrections records show. The Daily News reported that Barden fired a gun in the direction of an NYPD cop after tying up his ex-boss.
FIDO president Gary Osgood called Barden's release "frustrating," but he said he's focusing now on drumming up leads for investigators.
FIDO sent out an email blast to members asking potential victims to step forward, and posted the names and phone numbers of police officers and prosecutors working the case so other victims could contact them.
"We sense that Mr. Barden has left enough rope out there to hang himself...In light of that, it is incumbent upon us to bring all these pieces to the [deputy district attorney] so she can tie them together and build for the jury a history of disturbing behavior that is complete and convincing," Osgood said.
The NYPD took Barden's pit bull to Animal Care and Control when he was arrested, according to the News. ACC could not be reached immediately for comment on Tuesday about the current whereabouts of Barden's pet.
