By Shawn Cohen
Gannett News Service
RYE, N.Y. — Residents and other associates of a popular building superintendent are finding it impossible to fathom that the married father could have molested a tenant’s Labrador retriever .
“It’s unbelievable,” said Kris Lumaj, who does renovation work at the Rye Colony apartment complex and has known the super for years. “That’s an animal, you know. He’s got a wife and two kids, has no criminal record. I don’t know anybody who’d say anything bad about him.”
Kujtim Nicaj, who lives and works at the complex, was arrested Feb. 9 on charges of burglary and sexual misconduct.
Nicaj, seen as friendly and hardworking, hasn’t said a word publicly, or shown his face around the complex, since his arrest.
No one answered the door at his home Monday, though his lawyer has maintained contact with the 41-year-old and his wife since the news broke last week.
The beastiality case has made Nicaj a target of public ridicule, and he’s lost his job.
“I’ve been in touch with his family all weekend,” lawyer Steven Davidson said. “Aside from being humiliated, he’s worried about providing for his family. It’s an amazingly difficult time for them right now. They would like nothing more than for this whole mess to go away.”
Police say they have a videotape of the Feb. 8 incident, which took place after Nicaj entered the apartment with a key.
The tenant, suspecting someone had entered before, set up a webcam that captured the encounter, authorities said.
Though Davidson said neither he nor his client has seen the video, which police have yet to release, he denies that his client molested the animal.
Nicaj is free on $100,000 bail. He is due in court on March 6.
Copyright 2012 Gannett Company, Inc.