Jail Time for Owner
UPDATE 11/12/08: Christopher Fura -- the 21-year-old Warren man whose rottweiler, Chopper, killed an infant last year -- pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter and began a six-month jail sentence today. Macomb County Assistant Prosecutor Steve Kaplan said Fura pleaded just before a jury was to be selected for his trial today. Fura previously had entered the same plea, but withdrew it six weeks ago when prosecutors insisted he serve at least 6-months jail time.
The mauling occurred after Alexis Cox brought her daughter, Kylie, to the home on Toepfer Avenue on Sept. 12, 2007. The 17-year-old mother went to the kitchen to prepare a bottle of baby formula, and the Rottweiler, named "Chopper," grabbed Kylie from an unbuckled child seat on the living room floor and flung her. Winters and Fura, who were playing a video game approximately 8 feet away, then pounced on Chopper. - Macomb Daily
Christopher Fura also will be on probation for 3 years, during which time he can’t own any animals. Kaplan said the prosecution’s best evidence came from an incident three days before the fatal mauling on September 12, when Chopper growled at a child, got into a dogfight and bit Fura on the hand. “That shows he knew the dog had violent tendencies,” Kaplan said. Jason Winters, 23, Fura’s stepbrother, already pleaded guilty in the case and was sentenced to probation.
02/26/08: Negligence Claim Filed
Warren, MI - The grandmother of 4-month-old Kylie Cox, who was mauled to death September 17, 2007 by a rottweiler is suing the owner of the home where the fatal mauling took place. The lawsuit seeks more than $1 million in damages and is expected to be filed today in Macomb County Court. It charges Margaret Elderson, the owner of the home with negligence. Also named in the suit are Craig Winters, who owned the dog, his son, Jason Winters and Christopher Fura.
The defendants "owed a duty of care ... to exercise reasonable care and precautions in the supervision, training and securing of the dog so as to prevent foreseeable harm to (Kylie) and others like her," said the suit, which was to be filed by attorney Daniel Padilla today.
Padilla represents Kylie's grandmother, Lisa Livingston, who was appointed representative of Kylie's estate. - Detroit News
Last September, Alexis Cox brought her baby daughter, Kylie, to a party at Elderson's home on Toepfer Avenue. Two of her acquaintances, Christopher Fura, 19, and his stepbrother Jason Winters, 22, brought a 120-pound rottweiler named "Chopper" to the party as well. The animal attacked and killed the baby after Alexis placed the infant -- still strapped in her car seat -- on the floor in the living room. She had set her down briefly to make her a bottle in the kitchen.
Six months in jail for the death of an infant? Hardly seems like enough.
“What you in for?”
“Killin’ a baby”
Time for Chistopher to meet some real animals.
Bulls eye!
They had the nerve to charge me with assault and battery and give me 90 more days in Macomb county jail for beating the fu** out of fura when the jail deputies accidently put him in my unit in the jail because they weren’t aware that kylie is my daughter. I get 90 days for fighting with my fist and was fighting a 15-life charge and no one had died or came anywhere close to dying please explain that.