Raymane Robinson Jr., 2-years old, was killed by a bullmastiff in Killeen, Texas.
No Criminal Charges
UPDATE 04/06/14: The parents of a 2-year old boy killed by a loose bullmastiff hope their son's death encourages officials to change state law regarding vicious dog attacks. Currently, if the animal does not have a history of previous attacks or documented previous aggression, criminal charges cannot be filed. On March 1, 2014 a bullmastiff charged out of its owner's garage and attacked two children walking down a residential street, severely injuring one and killing the other.
The dog could have killed both children during its rampage (more had they been in the vicinity) and there still would be no criminal charges under these circumstances -- not even misdemeanor fines for multiple vicious attacks. At the very least, the owner or caretaker should have been fined $4,000 (Class A misdemeanor maximum) for each attack resulting in serious bodily injury, along with facing up to 2-years in jail. Instead, the caretaker was issued a $164 "dog at large" fine.
View Extended interview with Angela Robinson
03/05/14: Mauling Victim Identified
The victim of the latest Texas fatal dog attack has been identified as 2-year old Raymane Camari Robinson, Jr. Preliminary autopsy results show the cause of death as penetrating and blunt force injuries. Last Saturday, Robinson and an 8-year old girl were walking on a sidewalk in a Killeen residential neighborhood when a bullmastiff flew out of its owner's garage and violently attacked them. Robinson did not survive his injuries; the other child was hospitalized with serious injuries.
03/02/14: Neighbors Respond to Attack
Three people, ages 18, 8 and 2-years old were walking back from a park on the sidewalk Saturday afternoon when a bullmastiff ran out of its owner's garage and attacked. Killeen police were called out to the 4100 block of Pennington Avenue regarding gunshots being fired. While en route, they were told a dog had attacked several children. The 8-year old girl was the first target and victim of the dog. As neighbors pulled the large animal off of her, the dog next attacked the 2-year old boy.
Police said the child was dragged down the sidewalk until one neighbor fired off rounds to scare the dog away. The animal fled back into the garage after the gunfire. The Coon family, who lives next door and have two children of their own, said it could have been their own. "We were in the backyard at the time when it happened. Any normal day we would be out in the street; it would be my 2-year old and 7-year old and they're out every single day on the street," said Neil Coon.
Mildred Lubina, who lives right in front of where the attack happened, is a nurse. She ran out to help the victims. She saw the injured boy and began administering CPR. "The child started to breathe, but blood was coming out," said Lubina. "Looking at the child, I felt so bad for the helpless child," said Lubina. The boy was rushed to Darnell Army Medical Center in critical condition, but did not survive. As of Sunday afternoon, the 8-year old girl is in stable condition.
Neighbors told Fox 7 News that the dog's owner was out of town at the time and that the massive brute that killed one child and seriously injured another was "being watched by his mother."
Misinformed Texas Media
Fox 7, along with too many other Texas media groups, once again failed to get the Texas felony dog attack law (also called Lillian's Law) correct. The root of the confusion may also be Killeen or Bell County officials. If the latter is true, we invite both to look at the track record of Travis County, who continues to successfully prosecute under the state law. Lillian's Law only applies to loose dog attacks where knowledge of prior viciousness can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Sec. 822.005. ATTACK BY DOG. (a) A person commits an offense if the person is the owner of a dog and the person:
(1) with criminal negligence, as defined by Section 6.03, Penal Code, fails to secure the dog and the dog makes an unprovoked attack on another person that occurs at a location other than the owner's real property or in or on the owner's motor vehicle or boat and that causes serious bodily injury, as defined by Section 1.07, Penal Code, or death to the other person; or
(2) knows the dog is a dangerous dog by learning in a manner described by Section 822.042(g) that the person is the owner of a dangerous dog, and the dangerous dog makes an unprovoked attack on another person that occurs at a location other than a secure enclosure in which the dog is restrained in accordance with Subchapter D and that causes serious bodily injury, as defined by Section 822.001, or death to the other person.
(b) An offense under this section is a felony of the third degree unless the attack causes death, in which event the offense is a felony of the second degree.
Learn more about Lillian's Law at DogBiteLaw.com.
03/01/14: Dog Kills Child, Injures Another
Killeen, TX - In a developing story, yet another monster bullmastiff attacked and killed one child and seriously injured another in a different part of the country today. Killeen Police said a 2-year old boy died from injuries inflicted by the dog and an 8-year old girl is currently in critical condition at Carl R. Darnell Army Medical Center due to injuries inflicted by the animal. The attacks occurred in a neighborhood near Iduma Elementary School at about 5:00 pm on Saturday afternoon.
The Killeen Daily Herald interviewed Carroll Smith, a Killeen Police Department Public Affairs Officer, in this related video. At the time of the attack, at least three people were walking by a home, ages 18, 8 and 2-years old, when the bullmastiff (unrelated to the victims) escaped its owner's property and attacked the 8-year old girl. People were able to pull the dog off of her. The animal then turned on the 2-year old, latching on to him, dragging him, ultimately killing the boy.
This is the second fatal dog mauling of a child in Bell County, Texas in under 15 days.
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Related articles:
02/19/14: 2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Texas Toddler Killed by Pit Bull Being 'Watched' by Her Family
03/20/13: Report: Texas Dog Bite Fatalities, January 1, 2005 to February 17, 2013
09/02/09: Grandmother and Mother Charged in 2007 Dog Mauling Death of Killeen, Texas Boy
Photo: The Killeen Daily Herald
Well what a night. I was checking email before going to bed and thought I was reading the same story in Paterson NJ for a minute, then realized it was an 8 and 2 year old in Killeen. Nice homes, nice neighborhoods but its like we are living in India or Pakistan, but instead of bans of wild, homeless dogs eating people, these dogs are living in the laps of luxury and the owners still can't control them.
That be four dead children in just five days.
8 dead by dog attack so far in 2014. 7 killed by pit bull type dogs.
Child fatalities by pit bull type dogs (5):
Kara Hartrich – 4 y.o. – Bloomington IL ** [Jan 17]
Je’vaeh Mayes – 2 y.o. – Temple TX ** [Feb 17]
Braelynn Rayne Coulter – High Point NC ** [Feb 25]
Summer Sears – 4 y.o. – Tallassee GA [Feb 26]
Unnamed as yet – 13 y.o. boy – Patterson NJ [28 Feb – bull mastiff]
Unnamed as yet – 2 y.o. boy – Killeen TX ** [1 March — bullmastiff]
Adult fatalities by pit bull type dogs (2):
Christina Bell-Burleson – 43 – Houston TX ** [Jan 5]
Klonda Richey – 57 – Dayton OH ** [Feb 7 – two pit bull / mastiff mixes]
Non-bite fatalities:
Carlos Eligio Trevina – 54 y.o. – Idaho Falls ID – [Jan 9] – Died of a heart attack immediately after breaking up a fight between his seven pit bulls / pit mixes
One Rottweiler killing: Annabel Martin – 89 y.o. – Corona CA [Jan 26]
I'm having a problem with the timeline of both these last Bullmastiff mauling deaths. In Killeen they got the monster off the 8-yr-old girl and then it got the toddler. You know someone had to have picked up that child and had it in their arms you would think ??? The 18-yr-old that had taken them to the playground maybe??? Another neighbor maybe? I guess I'm wanting to hear from a witness to this carnage!
I just don't even know what to say anymore. My heart hurts from these senseless deaths.
That's just it, there are no regulations for how to keep dangerous breeds. The way we keep normal dogs is very lax because if your normal dog slips out your out your door, no one is in immediate danger of a lethal attack.
People are insisting it is OK to keep dogs that are willing and able to inflict a lethal attack the same way we keep labs.
These bull breeds should be banned. It is the cheapest, easiest way to keep people safe.
Want to get away with murder? Get a dangerous dog. Works every time.
I was one of the people who called 911 on the encounter of the 8yr old and 2 yr old dog attack. The dog grabbed the 2 yr old away from the 18yr old and mauled him like a rag doll. It was horrific site and everyone there did their best to get the little boy away from the dog. We also did our best to save the little boy but he was bit on the neck and lost a lot of blood. Plz don't criticize before you what went down
Oh, I just had a feeling that dog took that baby out of the 18-year-old's arms. It just couldn't get any more horrific than these last 2 attacks.
Kilhir, I don't think anyone was criticizing the 18 year old. I think the criticism is aimed at a dog so vicious and so huge that it can rip a child from an adult's arms. The pit bull mix the AKC calls a 'bullmastiff' likely weighs more than the teenager who was holding the little boy. Of course it's not her fault! I'm sure the poor girl is traumatized and feeling horrible that she couldn't save the child. If you know her, I hope you'll tell her it's not her fault and that she's a hero for trying.
The official breed standard of the so-called 'bullmastiff' specifies that it is mastiff mixed with at least 40% 'old English bulldog'. The 'old English bulldog' is the original pit bull. It was around for hundreds of years before various kennel clubs began thinking up new names for it.
The 'bullmastiff' is another pit bull mix, no less than any other pit bull mix in a shelter that hasn't yet been dubbed something fancy and misleading by some kennel club. The only thing that makes it extraordinary is that it often weighs more than an adult human.
This is just so horrible.
Honestly to think of an alleged "domestic" animal ripping a child out of someones arms and dragging them down the street to kill them is like something out of a horror movie.
I can not imagine the trauma the witnesses/victims of this incident are suffering.
As Sputnik said, you can re-label these dogs all you want but at the end of the day its still a pit bull type dog and this one the size of a small horse.