Dennis Gateley
Dennis Gateley
Child Abuse
Dennis Gately tired to flush his 6-week-old infant son down a toilet and assaulted his girlfriend Melinda Stracuzza during a domestic dispute just after midnight on Tuesday August 2, 2016.
The incident took place at a home in the 100 block of Southern Avenue in the Mt.
Washington neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Dennis Gateley was arrested by Pittsburgh Police and charged with assault, illegal firearm possession, terrorist threats, and endangering a child.
The incident started when Dennis and his girlfriend, Melinda Stracuzza, told Dennis that he should take better care of their baby.
Gateley then started punching and pushing Melinda during the feud.
Melinda and Dennis' mother, Babette Stefanovitz, ran with into the bathroom, to try and escape Dennis.
Dennis then pulled open the bathroom door, grabbed the infant, and pushed the baby's head against a wall before pushing the baby’s head into a toilet.
Friends and family members rushed upstairs after hearing a commotion, and saw Dennis pushing the infant headfirst into the toilet.
Randy Riley, Ms. Strefanovitz's boyfriend, wrestled the baby out of Dennis Gateley's hands and took it out of the house, but not before Mr. Riley was bitten by the family dog and punched by Dennis.
The dog also bit Dennis.
While the family tried to escape the home, Dennis yelled "I'm going to kill them," and threw the baby's crib down the staircase.
Dennis was armed and barricaded himself in his room when Pittsburgh Police and SWAT officers arrived.
He surrendered after at around 2:41 a.m after police negotiators convinced him to surrender.
He was taken into custody and held at Allegheny County Jail.
Both victims Melinda and the child were seen by paramedics at the scene and transported to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center so that the infant could be evaluated.
After searching the home Pittsburgh Police recovered two guns, which Dennis is not allowed to own since he is a convicted felon.
Criminal Record
In 2015, Dennis Gateley was convicted of simple assault after he slammed his mother Babette Stefanovitz to the floor.
In addition, Gateley is not legally allowed to own a firearm because he was convicted of a felony aggravated assault, in which he pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and trying to disarm an officer in 2009.
He was sentenced to six to 12 months in jail and three years’ probation in that incident.
Dennis Gateley has also been previously convicted of aggravated assault and indecent deviate sexual intercourse.