A man sliced his finger in an alleged fishing-wire booby trap while walking his miniature schnauzer in Dyker Heights on Sunday afternoon. The NYPD has since opened an investigation into the incident, which has been classified as a possible case of reckless endangerment—a felony offense.
Toa Cheung and his sister Eveline were walking Cheung's schnauzer Pepper on Bay 7th Street near Cropsey Avenue around 4:00 p.m. on Sunday when the dog's leash became tangled in fishing wire, according to the Bensonhurst Bean.
NYPD Officer Mason confirmed that the fishing wire "looked like it was intentionally placed across the street," one end tied around the rearview mirror of a nearby car. While Cheung attempted to loosen the wire, the car's unwitting driver began to pull away, causing the wire to tighten around the dog's neck.
As the car continued to drive away, the wire sliced into Cheung's left middle finger. According to the Bean, the deep cut ultimately required seven stitches. Doctors told Eveline that the wire partially tore a tendon.
The siblings later said that they had seen more fishing wire tied to cars one block west, on 14th Avenue adjacent to Dyker Beach Park. On Monday, Eveline told the Bean, there was more string on the sidewalk adjacent to the park's Southeast corner, at Poly Place and Cropsey Avenue.
"This is a sick person that was doing it,” she said. “There are a lot of kids in that park. It could be fatal.”
