Reston man charged after dog found stabbed to death in Frederick County

A 34-year-old Reston, Virginia man was arrested Thursday morning after allegedly stabbing his dog multiple times in Frederick County, Maryland , the sheriff's office said. SEE ALSO | Man admits he killed missing Maryland child George 'Junior' Burdynski 33 years ago Deputies responded around 1:55 a.m. to the 7900 block of Hollow Road, where they found Erfan Behnam alongside his vehicle. He was covered in blood and dog hair, authorities said. The dog was found dead in a nearby grassy area with 14 stab wounds to various parts of its body, the sheriff’s office said. A knife was found inside the vehicle.

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Scoop News DeskFrederick County, District of Columbia · Published Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 7:52 PM UTCUpdated Friday, September 18, 2026 at 1:19 AM UTC

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SEE ALSO | Man arrested after 2-month-old girl beaten to death in Southeast DC Behnam allegedly admitted to stabbing the dog and told deputies the animal jumped from his vehicle while he was driving and that he “needed to put the dog down.” Investigators said Behnam gave inconsistent accounts of what happened and why he believed the dog needed to be euthanized .