Man Arrested for Fatally Shooting Neighbor’s Dog

Sully Police District – A Centreville man has been charged with two felonies for the fatal shooting of a neighbor’s dog.

At 9:47 a.m. yesterday, officers responded to the 5100 block of Brittney Elyse Circle, Centreville, for the reported shooting. Officers found the owner outside next to his 2-year-old yellow Labrador and Beagle mix that had been shot. Officers learned Roman Vyacheslavov Gorelov, 33, shot the dog then returned to his nearby apartment. Officers contacted Gorelov by phone, and he surrendered to police. The dog was taken to a nearby veterinarian hospital and pronounced deceased.

Detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau preliminarily determined Gorelov exchanged words with the owner of the Labrador mix in the breezeway of the apartments. Gorelov then displayed a firearm and shot the dog. The owner picked up the dog and ran away from the breezeway. Gorelov followed the man then shot the dog several more times.

Gorelov was charged with animal cruelty and reckless discharge of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school. He was taken to the adult detention center and held without bond. Detectives executed a search warrant at the home and recovered the firearm.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call detectives at 703-814-7000. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone – 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), and by web – Click HERE. Download the ‘P3 Tips’ App and follow the steps to “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers”. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1,000 dollars. Please leave contact information if you wish for a detective to follow up with you.  

Victim specialists from our Major Crimes Bureau’s Victim Services Division have been assigned to ensure the family is receiving appropriate resources and assistance.

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