Adult babysitter charged after her pit bulls mauled 1-year-old to death; her teen girl hailed as hero for trying to save baby



A 1-year-old boy was mauled to death by pit bulls belonging to the child's babysitter, who left the infant alone with the aggressive dogs and her 13-year-old daughter. The babysitter is now facing multiple felonies for the baby's tragic death.

Heather Rodriguez — a 36-year-old family friend — was trusted to babysit 1-year-old Jiryiah Johnson on Monday morning. However, Rodriguez reportedly got called into work and left the baby alone with her 13-year-old daughter and three pit bulls at her home in San Antonio, Texas.

'In a house full of vicious dogs, what did this lady, this suspect, think was going to happen?'

The 13-year-old and baby were inside a bedroom in the house. However, the dogs damaged the door and forced their way into the bedroom.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar described the teen daughter as a "hero" for trying to save the baby from the dogs.

"I read the report in detail, and it's pretty heartbreaking. She made every effort possible, even lifting that baby up over her head, but my understanding is the dog actually climbed onto something and was able to get the baby out of her hands and tear the baby out of her hands," Salazar said of the 13-year-old girl.

“The little girl, the 13-year-old, was able to maintain control of the baby, but at this point — in what’s being described to be as it was almost a tug-of-war for the baby between at least one of the dogs and the little girl,” Salazar said at a press conference.

"This little girl was put in a situation where she went from that bedroom to a bathroom to another bedroom and was chased every step of the way by these dogs who were continuing to bite her as well," Salazar added.

The girl barricaded herself and the infant into another bedroom where she was able to call for help.

"I'm considering her a hero," Salazar said of the girl.

"This little girl sustained injuries herself," Salazar said. "I believe she’s going to have some lasting psychological effects as a result of it."

Erika Castro — Jiryiah's mother — said, “I thank that girl because ... she did her best.”

Deputies with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office weren't able to reach the children immediately once they arrived at the scene.

"It wasn't until the owner of the dogs, the suspect, actually made it home and was able to get the dogs outside to allow the deputies to come in and, you know, start administering first aid to the baby," Salazar said.

The baby boy suffered significant injuries to his head and throat from the dog attack.

Paramedics rushed the boy to the University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead later Monday.

KENS-TV reported there were blood stains on a bed, a door, and the floors.

Salazar blasted the babysitter, "In a house full of vicious dogs, what did this lady, this suspect, think was going to happen?"

The sheriff added, “If you have a dog like that, that you know is vicious, you know is a problem, for one thing, don’t ever bring babies into the house, especially someone else’s baby.”

Salazar stated that Rodriguez “seemed more concerned with what was going on with those dogs” than taking responsibility for her actions that led to the death of a 1-year-old.

'You left my son with a 13-year-old girl. It’s pure and utter belligerence. It’s infuriating that that’s allowed. That she made that choice.'

Salazar noted that Rodriguez had been cited in April for allowing her dogs to run unleashed and forcing a man to flee to his car since he was fearful he would have been attacked.

"I'm furious at the fact that that she knew these dogs were problematic," Salazar declared. "Not only was she exposing her own child to this, to these unpredictable animals that had already caused damage; they were already dangerous, in my opinion. But not only that, she decided to bring a baby into that residence for the sheer profit."

Salazar said he is "disgusted by the whole thing."

Rodriguez initially was charged with causing serious bodily injury to the child with intent — a first-degree felony. Rodriquez subsequently was hit with two more felonies: injury to a child — reckless bodily injury — as well as endangering a child, imminent danger — causing bodily injury.

Salazar was asked why the charges were not upgraded to murder, and he noted that both charges have the same penalty range as murder — between five to 99 years or life in prison with the possibility of a fine of up to $10,000 if convicted.

Rodriguez's bond was set at $100,000.

Salazar is calling for the dogs involved in the fatal attack to be euthanized but acknowledged that's animal control's decision.

The sheriff said of the pit bulls, "My understanding is that only one at present has been fully surrendered. The other two were turned over to animal control, but I spoke to our director of public health this morning, and we're going to be pushing, they'll be pushing, and of course we'll be in a support role to see if we can go ahead and get all three dogs fully surrendered."

Salazar stated that if the dogs are not voluntarily surrendered that the Bexar County Sheriff's Office would use the court process to fully seize the other two pit bulls.

The grieving mother said, “I’ve been shaking, I’ve been having panic attacks.”

The boy's father — Julian Johnson — slammed the babysitter for abandoning his son.

“You left my son with a 13-year-old girl," Johnson stated. "It’s pure and utter belligerence. It’s infuriating that that’s allowed. That she made that choice.”

A GoFundMe campaign was launched to help the family pay for medical bills and funeral costs.

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18-month-old girl dies after getting mauled by dog inside New Jersey home, police say



New Jersey police said that a toddler was lethally mauled by a dog while in the care of a teenager at a Newark residence Tuesday evening.

'The distraught family asked for privacy.'

Police said the girl had wandered away from the babysitter and encountered one of their four dogs, a pit bull, at the home on Second Ave.

The child was transported to University Hospital after the mauling with critical injuries. She was later declared dead at about 7 p.m. according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

The four dogs were removed from the home, and police are trying to determine whether only one dog attacked the child or whether any of the other dogs were involved. They were placed into quarantine with Newark Animal Control.

"The investigation is continuing, and the official cause and manner of death will be determined by an autopsy," said Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly.

The distraught family asked for privacy as they deal with the tragic incident.

"I seen that amount of police, I really got worried because it was a lot of commotion going on," said a neighbor to WCBS-TV. "I couldn't do anything about it because I couldn't see."

Video of the residence could be seen in a news report from WABC-TV on YouTube.

Pit bulls account for more dog bites in the U.S. than any other breed, according to the American Animal Hospital Association. They also account for more lethal dog attacks than any other breed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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New York pizzeria worker viciously mauled after telling man to take unleashed pit bull outside, police say



A man was arrested and charged with attempted murder when his pit bull allegedly attacked a pizzeria worker who told him to take the unleashed pet outside.

Police said they were called to the Roma Pizza restaurant on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on Monday evening at about 10 p.m.

'He said that Watson only stopped because he believed the man was dead.'

Another employee told WNBC-TV that the altercation began after the pizzeria worker told the man, later identified as Tyshaun Watson, to take his dog outside.

Watson allegedly stepped behind the counter and punched the worker. Their fight spilled out onto the street, where the dog attacked the worker.

"The dog was on him, biting him. After that [Watson] stomped on him, hit him on his head. He went unconscious. He did it two times after," said the co-worker.

He said that Watson only stopped because he believed the man was dead, and then he walked inside of the restaurant to wait for police.

One employee said he overheard Watson tell the dog he would not be fed because the dog disobeyed his order and didn't "finish the job."

Workers told WNBC they went out the back of the store and locked the doors when Watson came back in. They went around to the front and locked the front doors from the outside to trap the man until police arrived.

WNBC showed video of Watson being arrested and pointed out that he was wounded in the arm where the dog bit him as well.

The victim was transported to a hospital with critical injuries, but he is expected to survive. Police said they took the dog into custody but did not say whether it would be put down or not.

WNBC published a news video report with scenes from the pizzeria.

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Backyard bloodbath: California pit bull breeder savagely mauled to death by his own dogs



A California pit bull breeder was brutally mauled to death by the very dogs he cared for in his own backyard.

The slain man's girlfriend made a gruesome discovery on Friday morning when she found her boyfriend's mutilated body lying in a kennel area. The Compton Fire Department, along with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, responded to the backyard bloodbath around 8 a.m. after the woman called 911.

Aerial footage shows a woman carefully scaling a fence in an attempt to exit the backyard of the Compton home teeming with pit bulls.

Investigators say a surveillance camera caught the fatal mauling on video, which occurred between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursday.

“He was feeding the dogs, at which point maybe there was an altercation between some of the dogs, and [they] ultimately attacked and mauled the victim," said Michael Gomez with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau.

The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control said authorities were cautious when rounding up the 13 pit bulls – five adult dogs and eight puppies.

Animal control officials will determine if any of the deadly pit bulls need to be euthanized.

"Preliminary information suggests that the deceased individual was involved in breeding and selling pit bulls,” animal control officials said in a statement.

The father of the deceased dog owner is "cooperating and has consented to signing over the dogs" to the Department of Animal Care and Control.

Department of Animal Care and Control director Marcia Mayeda said, "Our deepest sympathies are extended to the family and friends of the victim. We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation to determine the facts and ensure the safety and well-being of both the community and the animals involved."

Damian Wesley with the Compton Animal Rescue told KTLA, "It sucks that it brings awareness from a death. I hope that awareness is spread… that people need to take great care of their dogs. People need to understand that these dogs can kill somebody and hurt people."

The identity of the 35-year-old victim has yet to be released by authorities.

The investigation is still ongoing, according to authorities.

(WARNING: Graphic Content)

Compton pit bull breeder mauled to death by his own dogs www.youtube.com

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Iowa mother loses legs, needs facial reconstructive surgery after attack by 3 pit bulls, officer shoots dogs dead



A mother in Iowa has lost both of her legs and will require facial reconstructive surgery after being mauled by three pit bulls.

Around 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 24, three pit bulls attacked Brittany Skoland at her home in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Neighbor reportedly heard "someone yelling for help," and called the police.

When a police officer arrived, he saw Brittany Skoland being mauled by the three pit bulls.

"The officer attempted to scare the dogs away to stop them from attacking the woman, but the dogs would not stop," read the statement from the Fort Dodge Police Department. "The officer on scene then drew his duty weapon and shot all three dogs multiple times to stop the attack."

A local resident told KCCI that it took several rounds to subdue the animals.

“I was sitting in my living room, and I was just sitting there and all of a sudden I heard bang bang bang, and I come to the door and I seen all the cops, well there was only one at the time, and I seen the lady laying on the ground and the dogs going at her and the cops shot them. And it was quite a few rounds of ammunition to get them down,” Rosemary Possehn told the news outlet.

The officer shot all three pit bulls dead.

However, Skoland had already suffered serious injuries from the pit bull attack.

Skoland was transported to nearby Unity Point Trinity Regional Medical Center, and later flown to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.

A GoFundMe campaign was launched to assist the Iowa mother with medical bills.

Skoland's aunt, Teresa Hanus, wrote in the fundraising description: "As of 12/2 Brittany has lost a lot more than we originally thought. She's had many surgeries and procedures in the last few days. She has had both legs amputated to her knees."

The aunt noted that her niece suffered serious head trauma and will need facial reconstruction surgery.

Because of the vicious dog attack that took Skoland's legs, her home will need special accommodations for when she returns home and is bound to a wheelchair.

The owner of the pit bulls was reportedly not cooperative when questioned by a local television news channel.

KCCI attempted to speak to the owner of the dogs, but he allegedly "yelled obscenities and told KCCI to go away before walking into his home."

The dog owner has reportedly not been charged with any crimes as of yet.

Law enforcement is still investigating the brutal pit bull attack.

As of Sunday afternoon, the GoFundMe had raised over $16,000.

Anyone with information on the animal attack is urged to contact the Fort Dodge Police.

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Fort Dodge woman recovering in hospital after dog attack www.youtube.com

4-year-old playing in backyard was mauled to death by dog; family says the boy was 'full of life'



A 4-year-old boy was mauled to death by at least one dog when he was playing in the backyard of his grandmother's house in Detroit, Michigan.

The vicious dog attack happened in the city's west side just before 3 p.m. on Wednesday, according to police.

Detroit Police Department Cpl. Dan Donakowski said, "The dogs mauled the boy while he was in the backyard. He succumbed to his injuries. We're not sure if it's one or two dogs, but Animal Control has two dogs in custody."

The boy was pronounced dead at the site of the dog attack.

An adult was at home when the boy was killed in the deadly dog attack, according to police.

"The event was so horrific that people across the street could hear," attorney Peter O’Toole said. "They're the ones who contacted authorities right away."

The family believes the dogs jumped over the fence to maul the boy.

According to WXYZ-TV, "Police say the dog even dragged the child back to the other side through a gap in the fence. Neighbors a block away also heard his grandmother call for help."

Donakowski said it is believed that the dogs that mauled the little boy to death belong to a neighbor who lives behind the house of the grandmother.

The dogs were believed to be pit bulls or pit bull mixes, police said.

WILX reported, "As DPD and Detroit Animal Control investigated the scene, police chaplains held the family’s hand in prayer as they mourned the sudden and tragic death of the young child."

The boy has been identified as 4-year-old Lovell Anderson.

"Just full of life," Lovell’s aunt Monique Grant said of the slain boy. "We just ask for everybody's prayers right now."

Lovell's aunt Maple Blackshear remembered, "Just such a gentleman, so helpful. Just sweet."

Police Cmdr. Arnold Williams told reporters at the scene, "We’re trying to do everything that we can just to help everybody through this. The loss of a child who hasn’t really started their life is just something huge that nobody can really even fathom."

Williams added, "This reminds everybody, if you do have a dog to secure your dog to make sure your dog can’t get out. That’s the most important thing."

At the time of publication, the owner of the dogs has not been identified or charged.

Pit bulls taken into custody after 4-year-old killed in dog mauling in Detroit www.youtube.com

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6-year-old boy mauled to death by family dog: 'He will continue to live on playing baseball in Heaven'



A 6-year-old boy was mauled to death on Tuesday by the family dog at the child's home in North Port, Florida.

Around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, police responded to reports of a dog attack on a small child. The family's dog attacked the child inside the home. Neighbors rushed to the home to help the 6-year-old Daylan Guillen before police arrived.

"It was inside the home. The dog was in a bedroom, the child walked into the bedroom to get something. Next thing you know, people heard screaming and jumped into action," said Josh Taylor, public information officer of the North Port Police Department.

The boy was flown to Sarasota Memorial Hospital with extensive traumatic injuries to the upper torso area. Once the child was stabilized, he was flown to Tampa General for additional medical procedures. However, the boy died at Tampa General Hospital from injuries sustained from the dog attack.

The dog, said to be a 3-year-old pit bull mix, was removed from the home and taken by Sarasota County Animal Services, according to the North Port Police Department. The pit bull mix will be quarantined for 10 days then euthanized as per the request of the owners, Sarasota County Sheriff's Office officials said.

The police said they were not aware of any previous incidents with the killer dog.

"From every bit of information we have so far, there’s no history of the dog acting out, which would indicate that something could possibly happen," Taylor said. "The animal lived in the home from basically a puppy, a couple of weeks old, between 2 and 8 weeks, if I’m not mistaken, and you know, was a family pet."

North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison said, "Our hearts are broken for this young child and his family. As a father and pet owner, I know this is one of the worst tragedies you can imagine. We ask that everyone take a few moments to pay respect and reflect on those you care for in your life. Our time here is precious."

Police said no charges had been filed.

Daylan Guillen was an avid baseball fan.

The North Port Little League organization said, "Daylan loved baseball! And he would be at the field with a smile on his face and ready to go. Daylan had no fear with playing with the older kids. He wanted to become a pitcher. He loved the Juniors team and those boys loved him."

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to assist the family with medical and funeral costs.

The crowdfunding listing read: "He was such an amazing son and an even better brother. He had a huge love for dinosaurs. He loved to help out with anything."

The campaign said, "He will continue to live on playing baseball in Heaven. He wanted to be a pitcher so he will be up there throwing strikes!"

Daylan's kidneys were reportedly donated to "two other little kids in need."

Between 2005 and 2020, there were 568 Americans killed by dogs, according to DogsBite.org – a national dog bite victim's advocacy group. Of those fatalities by dog attacks, pit bulls were reportedly responsible for 67%.

Time magazine reported in 2014, "Pit bulls make up only 6% of the dog population, but they’re responsible for 68% of dog attacks and 52% of dog-related deaths since 1982, according to research compiled by Merritt Clifton – editor of Animals 24-7, an animal-news organization that focuses on humane work and animal-cruelty prevention."

Child dies after being mauled by dog in North Port www.youtube.com

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Minnesota man, 22, mauled to death by his brother's 4 'giant' pit bulls



A 22-year-old Minnesota man was mauled to death by his older brother's four pit bulls. The deadly dog attack left the young man with "extensive bites on a majority of his body."

Dezmond R. Thomas Trawick was playing with his older brother's four pit bulls around 12:45 p.m. on Thursday at his Brooklyn Center home. The pit bulls didn't live with Thomas Trawick, but he was watching the animals for his brother.

While Trawick was playing with the dogs in his backyard, the pit bulls violently turned on him.

Jerry Nelson, Thomas Trawick's neighbor, witnessed the lethal dog attack, which he said left him "messed up all day."

Nelson said Thomas Trawick was tossing a tennis ball to the four dogs.

"I thought they were playing, you know, jumping on him, and I was like, ‘Hey, you need help?’ And then he looked at me. He's like, you know, fighting them off. He's like, you know – kind of hesitated," Nelson said, according to Fox News. "But then it got really serious. He's like, ‘Yeah, can you come here? Can you come help me?’"

Nelson called 911 to report the violent dog attack. He then hurled rocks and sticks at the animals to try to stop the dog attack.

"I mean, those are big, giant, dogs, and I couldn't get them off of him," Nelson said.

Brooklyn Center Police Department dispatched officers to the home. An officer fired a nonlethal round at one of the pit bulls. All of the dogs scattered and ran back into the house, according to police.

"The victim had most of his clothing ripped off and had extensive bites on a majority of his body," the police said in a statement.

Thomas Trawick was intubated and rushed to the North Memorial Health Hospital. He was pronounced dead one hour later.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office said the 22-year-old man died from "complications of the dog attack." The death was preliminarily classified as an accident.

An investigation into the dog attack death has been initiated. Police said charges haven't been filed as of yet, but that could change after the investigation.

All of the pit bulls were transported and quarantined at Pups Under Police Security – an animal holding center. The pit bulls will undergo a "dangerous dog evaluation" to determine what will happen to them, according to police.

Brooklyn Center Police Cmdr. Tony Gruenig told the Star Tribune. "There is about a 10- to 14-day process to declare the dogs dangerous. We have to serve paperwork, have a hearing, [and] if it's declared dangerous, then there is an appeal process."

Gruenig said that owner "could also turn the dogs over to the city, and the hearing would be waived."

A GoFundMe campaign was launched to financially support his family and pay for funeral services for Thomas Trawick.

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Dezmond Trawick dies after dog attack in Brooklyn Center www.youtube.com

6-year-old girl may never smile again after needing 1,000 stitches from being mauled in pit bull attack



A 6-year-old girl was the victim of a vicious dog attack in Maine. The young girl may never smile again after being mauled by a pit bull.

Lily Norton was at a friend's house and playing cards in the kitchen when she was ferociously mauled by the dog on Feb 18. The friend's mother was dogsitting a pit bull mastiff, but walked out of the room – that's when the dog pounced on Lily's face.

"They were going to play cards at the table, so she sat down at the table, the friend went and got the cards, and then as soon as the friend walked back in the room, she screamed to her mom because the dog had Lily in her mouth," said Dorothy Norton – the girl's mom.

Lily was rushed to a nearby hospital, but the 6-year-old's injuries were so severe that she had to be flown to the Boston Children's Hospital via medical helicopter.

The young girl underwent a 12-hour emergency surgery and needed more than 1,000 stitches.

Dorothy said Lily was having a difficult time in the hospital.

The mother told WGME-TV, "She kept trying to take the tube out and that's not a good thing, so they had to tie her hands down. Which is hard to see."

Family friend CJ Pitcher said Lily's doctors believe that the little girl may never smile again due to the extensive damage to her face.

"Her salivary glands aren’t working … and doctors said she won't be able to smile again. Muscles are too damaged," Pitcher said.

Pitcher said Lily needed to be sedated for at least a week to prevent her from scratching her face as her injuries heal.

A GoFundMe campaign was launched by Pitcher's son to help raise money for Lily's long road to recovery.

The Pitchers decided to include a graphic photo of Lily in her current state.

"Everybody hears about dog attacks, but they can’t really picture in their head what that looks like," Pitcher said. "So, we put it up."

Dorothy said of her daughter, "She's so energetic. She loves to be outside, loves it. And she doesn't hate all dogs, at least that's what she told me. She just doesn't want to see that one again."

The pit bull mastiff will reportedly be quarantined for 10 days and then evaluated to determine the next steps.

Chesterville Animal Control Officer Dexter “Buzz” Bridges said an investigation is ongoing into the dog attack.

(WARNING: Disturbing images)

Dog attack leaves 6 year old Maine girl with 1,000 stitches www.youtube.com

In the past few months, several children have been severely injured and even killed in dog attacks.

Last month, a 7-year-old boy from Idaho was mauled to death in a brutal dog attack. The boy's mother attempted to save her son from the pack of dogs, but she was too late, and she was hospitalized because of the wounds she suffered,

Also in January, a 7-year-old Louisiana girl was mauled to death by a neighbor's pit bull.

In the same month, an 11-year-old Georgia boy had 80% of his scalp ripped off when three pit bulls mauled him.

In December, a 4-day-old baby was killed by the family's Siberian husky.

In October, two small children in Tennessee were mauled to death by the family's two pit bulls. The mother of the children was also attacked. She survived but needed to be hospitalized.

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Louisiana man caught on 'gruesome' video sexually abusing a neighbor's pit bull, police say



A Louisiana man was arrested on Thursday for sexually abusing a local dog in his neighborhood, according to police. The sexual attack on the pit bull was reportedly captured on video and seen by authorities.

The Alexandria Police Department arrested 23-year-old Noah Tomlin on Thursday for the alleged sex crime.

A video of the alleged sexual assault of the dog was reportedly uploaded to Facebook. Multiple people as well as the Humane Society of Louisiana tipped off the police about the purported sexual assault.

The Humane Society of Louisiana said Tomlin walked out of his house and approached a neighbor's pit bull that was bound by a heavy chain.

WAFB reported, "That’s when the man forced the dog to perform oral sex on him."

The incident happened in broad daylight and allegedly lasted two minutes.

The owner of the dog was notified of the animal abuse.

Jeff Dorson – the executive director at Humane Society of Louisiana – said "pet detectives" with his organization "helped to secure an arrest of a sexual predator."

After seeing the "gruesome and disturbing video," workers with the Humane Society of Louisiana contacted the Alexandria Police Department to report the suspected crime. At first, the police allegedly said the case was an animal control issue. However, the workers allegedly pushed to have a detective investigate the criminal allegations.

Dorson said Tomlin and the owner of the abused dog share the same backyard.

The Humane Society of Louisiana offered to pay for the dog to be examined by a veterinarian. The organization also offered the owner some suggestions on how to protect his dog in the future.

Tomlin was booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center and charged with sexual abuse of an animal. Tomlin reportedly posted a $1,000 bond on Friday.

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