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Sunday, December 30, 2007


2007 Dog Bite Fatality: Kelly Caldwell Killed by Loose Pit Bulls in California

Dog Owners Arrested
UPDATE 09/18/08: The owners of pit bulls that mauled Kelly Caldwell to death on Christmas Day have been arrested. Both Jeffrey Dwayne King, Jr., 23, and John Allan Peterson, 23, of Yermo were arrested in Barstow on September 17 and booked in the Barstow Jail on suspicion of failure to control a mischievous animal, resulting in death, a felony.

08/10/08: DNA Confirms Pit Bulls in Deadly Attack
Test results confirmed that blood found on the dogs matched DNA from the victim, 45-year-old Kelly Caldwell. The district attorney’s office will decide whether to file criminal charges against the dogs' owners, John Peterson and Jeff King. Caldwell’s mother, Carol Tanner, is relieved that after the seven months the case is moving forward.

12/30/07: Events Don't Add Up; Family in Shock
Events of this Christmas day tragedy still do not make sense to family members. The victim's daughter, Rhonda Dugger, who lived with Caldwell in Yermo and spent Christmas morning with her mother, does not understand why Caldwell was walking alone near Yermo Road and Second Street the night several dogs attacked and killed her.

Despite a medical condition that left Caldwell with weak lungs and forced her to always walk with a companion, her sister, Theresa Davies, said Caldwell was a tough woman who had a bit of a rough side. Both Davies and Dugger said sometimes Caldwell rubbed people the wrong way and she had enemies in Yermo but both still loved her.

Both Dugger and Davies said Caldwell’s body was badly damaged by the attack. Dugger said it looked like Caldwell’s legs had been run over by a car. Pieces of her body were scattered around the scene. Davies said she had skin nowhere else on her body but her face. "I can’t fathom it. I can’t believe an animal could do that," she said.

12/26/07: Yermo Woman Mauled to Death by Pit Bulls
So far in 2007, dogs have killed 35 people. Of these deaths, 21 are attributed to pit bull type dogs (60% percent). The nearest rival breed is the rottweiler at 11% percent. Given that pit bulls only make up 4-9% of U.S. household dogs, there is a clearly a breed disproportionate problem in dog attacks that end in fatality.

In the instance of 45-year old Kelly Caldwell, she was attacked and killed by several loose pit bulls late Christmas day. Authorities are taking DNA samples from the dogs to determine which ones are responsible. During the investigation, two dogs were shot as officials attempted to secure the crime scene and gather evidence.

At this time, officials do no know how the dogs escaped their enclosure and what, if any, charges the owner of these animals might face.

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9 comments:

Anonymous schultz  |  12/28/2007 5:40 PM  |  Flag  
these are the attacks that i find most disturbing, people just out minding their own business and encountering vicious free roaming dogs.
regardless of previous history of aggression, the owners should face murder charges.

Anonymous MAC  |  12/30/2007 1:09 PM  |  Flag  
"Both Dugger and Davies said Caldwell’s body was badly damaged by the attack. Dugger said it looked like Caldwell’s legs had been run over by a car. Pieces of her body were scattered around the scene. Davies, who saw her sister in the emergency room, said she had skin nowhere else on her body but her face. "

Sure, ALL dogs bite but there is only ONE type of dog that does this kind of damage, PIT BULL.

Anonymous Dee  |  12/30/2007 8:56 PM  |  Flag  
Absolutely horrifying

Anonymous Anonymous  |  1/01/2008 8:45 PM  |  Flag  
OMG...We do not have the details of what Jennifer's appearance was after she was murdered.

We were only told it is to horrible for the family to endure.

She was awake the 45 minutes the dogs were eating her. She fought to stay alive but lost the fight after the rescue.

I am so sorry for the Caldwell Family... I am sorry to say, closure will come slowly.

Please be strong...God bless you all.

Aunt Sue

Anonymous DogsBite.org  |  1/04/2008 1:59 PM  |  Flag  
A post that blames the victim will be removed immediately.

Anonymous schultz  |  1/04/2008 3:44 PM  |  Flag  
i understand why ignorant comments are deleted out of respect for victims and their families but there is a part of me that would like them to stay up so the world can see the true colors of pit bull owners. i find the most crude, insensitive and deceptive stuff written by these people on the internet. little do they know that they help to make the case against their precious pits.
yes, dogs are a reflection of their owners and vice versa.

Anonymous Anonymous  |  1/04/2008 5:12 PM  |  Flag  
those guys are both drug dealers in yermo they use and sell drugs maybe thats why kelly was on the other side of yermo at late hours on christmas night shouldnt she have been with her family,everybody in yermo knows she smokes meth,those boys on south 2nd street are nothing but trouble they should be chargerd with murder even if she was a crack head no one should die that way those dogs were trianed to attack,i live in yermo i would be glad to see those drug dealers off are streets there the ression yermo is the the way it is

Blogger lacey909ie  |  3/12/2010 1:42 AM  |  Flag  
That was my mother and there is no reason for anyone to die like that !!!!!

Blogger Packhorse  |  8/01/2011 6:55 PM  |  Flag  
"suspicion of failure to control a mischievous animal"

Uh...I consider my cat "mischievous " when he steals food off my plate. "Violent" or Deadly" are much better adjectives.

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