A 41-year-old Alexandria man was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison for executing the family dog in a fit of rage, according to Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter.
Sean Nikai Callender was sentenced on Jan. 23 after being convicted of felony animal cruelty and reckless handling of a firearm. The incident occurred on Feb. 25, 2024, in an apartment in the 4300 block of Raleigh Avenue, which is near the Shoppes of Foxchase on Duke Street.
The female victim told police that Callender, the father of her child, took her car and her Glock 19 9mm pistol when he left for work that morning. She told police that she was fearful and left the apartment with her newborn.
At around 10 p.m., the victim and the Callender were arguing via text, and that he was “highly agitated that she would not tell him the whereabouts of their daughter,” according to a search warrant affidavit. It was during a phone call that the victim heard two “loud booms and the call disconnected.”
Police found the eight-year-old dog named Max dead on the bed in the master bedroom, shot twice in the head.
Callender was captured by surveillance video carrying a handgun as he walked in and out of the apartment, according to court records.
The victim texted Callender asking if he killed her dog.
Callender allegedly responded, “(Y)ou deal with what’s at the house,” and “I’m not saying nothing, but don’t go upstairs with the kids.”
Callender’s fled to New York State, where he was arrested on March 12 and extradited back to Alexandria.
Porter said that the sentence holds Callender accountable for the killing and protects the community.
“The active penitentiary sentence imposed in this disturbing case both holds the defendant accountable for his intentional actions and protects our community from further depredation,” Porter said in a release. “I would like to thank the Alexandria Police Department for its thorough and professional investigation of this matter.”
Porter said that animal cruelty cases are among the worst that come before his office.
“Anyone who would injure, let alone kill, a defenseless and innocent dog is capable of extreme violence,” he said. “Research reveals that a person who is willing to harm the companion animal of a romantic partner is very likely to harm the partner in the near future, and thankfully we were able to intervene in this case before the defendant inflicted further violence.”
Callender was sentenced to three years and nine months of active incarceration in the Department of Corrections, and will be under supervised probation for two years after his release. He is prohibited from possessing or owning any animals, and must have no contact with the victim, her family and household members, and undergo a mental health assessment and complete treatment.
Callender is being held in the city jail until his transfer to the Virginia Department of Corrections.
