PITTSBURGH – Parents continue to use the Allegheny County court system to fight over an incident that involved a handgun and a pit bull.
Jonathan and Margot Rocchino filed a lawsuit earlier this month against Margeaux and Michael Ricchiuto, two years after a fracas that spawned a criminal trial and a previous lawsuit.
Jonathan Rocchino says Margeaux Ricchiuto was dropping her daughter off to visit Rocchino’s stepdaughter on July 2018, but the defendant’s pit bull escaped the car and locked its jaws around Rocchino’s dog’s neck.
Rocchino says he had his lawfully registered gun on him, and he drew it on the dog in concern for his dog and his daughter, who was attempting to separate the dogs.
The defendant’s older daughter was able to get the pit bull off of Rocchino’s dog. Rocchino told the defendant and her daughters to leave his residence, but they wouldn’t, the lawsuit alleges.
“Eventually Ms. Ricchiuto left Mr. Rocchino’s yard and falsely reported to local law enforcement that Mr. Rocchino pointed his gun at Defendant and her minor daughters, and that he verbally threatened them,” the lawsuit says.
Rocchino was found not guilty of criminal charges, but the defendants filed a civil lawsuit after. Rocchino’s lawsuit is the latest development. It alleges defamation, malicious prosecution and abuse of process, among other things, and seeks $35,000.
“Defendants Margeaux Ricchiuto and Michael Ricchiuto have pursued these criminal and civil actions for an improper purpose, namely: to harm Jonathan Rocchino and Margot Rocchino in retaliation for Mr. Rocchino’s actions to protect his family from Ms. Ricchiuto’s dog, and out of embarrassment for their dog’s behavior and for Ms. Ricchiuto’s inability to control her dog,” the suit says.
Attached to the lawsuit are photos from the defendant’s Facebook page about how large the pit bull is. Rocchino says the defendant testified the dog was a mixed breed, small and a puppy, but one of her posts says “Hello my name is Gunnar. They say I am a pit bull but I am pretty sure they mean lap dog! #60lblapdog #pittination.”