Nelson Bernardo Cabrera, 16, was killed by three pit bulls in Irving, Texas.
Dog Owner Knew Victim
UPDATE 08/13/19: On August 12, a Spanish speaking news outlet, Univision, added new dimensions to this boy's mauling death -- view the URL in Chrome to translate. According to the owner of the pit bulls, Guillermor Lorenzo, "the young man had stayed a few days in his house due to a favor he wanted to do to the minor. However, the owner of the house had canceled access to the property due to alleged problems that dragged the child," states the Google translation.
"In fact," the translation continues, "the owner of the property had changed the main locks to ensure that Cabrera would not enter the house again, Lorenzo explained to News 23 DFW." Notably, the subtitle is confusing and contradictory. This may be due to a poor Google translation: "Apparently the young man tried to enter the back of the house where he had stayed for a few days but where he never met the dogs that lived there," states the Google translation.
Lorenzo admits the boy had been staying at his home for a few days. English media outlets only stated that Lorenzo had seen the teenager a day earlier. This is a powerful difference relationship-wise. Despite the contradictory subtitle, certainly Nelson Cabrera, 16, would have known about Lorenzo's multiple pit bulls -- unless he was blind and mute -- since he had been living at his modest home for several days. There is no mention of Cabrera's parents or family members.
Multi-Pit Bull Household, Breeding
There were three adult pit bulls and at least four pit bull puppies in Lorenzo's home at the time of the deadly attack. Lorenzo admitted to his neighbor, Elizabeth Cantu, who feared the dogs, that his pit bulls could be aggressive. Lorenzo's daughter, Christina Lorena, who took to social media after Cabrera's death and stated, "That's what yo ass gets," referring to his death, also admitted that "Bella" is mean. "Bella the one the officer shot yes, she is mean really mean," Lorena wrote.
Lorena also wants the two adult pit bulls being held in quarantine returned to her family. A person impersonating the Facebook profile of John Nezat left a comment on a recent post by Lorena stating: "Hello we are pitbull lovers and trying to reach your father to help him get his dogs back! We are so sorry for the loss of pregnant bella we would hate to see the loss of the other 2 babies please reply to our message on messager. We do have connections so please reatch out [sic]."
Killed Before His 17th Birthday
The Daily Mail published photos of a younger Cabrera from a montage created by Rosy Cabrera, who is believed to be his grandmother. "The happiest days of my life with my beautiful child, thank God for giving me these beautiful moments," Rosy wrote. One mourner posted a photo of a Cabrera cutting a cake and stated: "Today would have been your 16th birthday. I'm still in shock you were taken yesterday." He was killed one day before his 17th birthday, reports CBS DFW.
It's hard to believe Cabrera "never met the dogs that lived there," as the Google translation states. On the day of the deadly mauling, Lorenzo was featured in multiple English speaking news videos, making the claim he only met the boy a day earlier. The Univision piece is in direct contrast to the "unknown intruder scenario" that was syndicated by English media from coast-to-coast after his horrific death. Unless his family speaks out, we may learn nothing else about his background.
Nelson Cabrera, seen younger, was killed by three pit bulls one day before his 17th birthday.
08/11/19: Texas Teen Dies by Dog Mauling
Irving, TX - Early Saturday morning, three pit bulls secured in their fenced-in yard brutally attacked a 16-year old male. Irving police received reports of the attack about 4:45 am in the 800 block of East Third Street. Arriving officers jumped the fence and tried to stop the vicious attack by placing themselves between the teenager and the dogs, firing on the pit bulls in the process. One pit bull was shot in the jaw. The victim was transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital with critical injuries.
Nelson Cabrera, 16, succumbed to his injuries late Saturday. Cabrera did not reside at the home and police do not know why he was there.
The dogs also bit one of the officers, who was treated and released. "I commend those officers for taking the initiative to jump over that fence and think about the victim before themselves," Irving police public information officer Robert Reeves said. The owner of the pit bulls, Guillermo Lorenzo, shed no sympathy for the teenager. "He has no right to be in [my] yard," Lorenzo said. "Nobody has a right to be in [my] yard." Lorenzo claimed his dogs were "doing their job" by protecting him.
Lorenzo is also a backyard breeder of pit bulls. On the day of the attack, Fox 4 News captured images of four pit bull puppies on Lorenzo's property. The female pit bull that was shot in the jaw, "Bella" was humanely euthanized due to "the severity of its injuries," police said. Lorenzo's other two adult pit bulls, "Bruce" and "Little Bit" (a longtime game-bred dog name), are being held in quarantine at the Irving Animal Shelter. Irving Police are still investigating the deadly dog attack.
Second Fatal Pit Bull Attack in Irving
In March, Johana Villafane, 33, was killed by her two pit bulls while visiting them at O’Connor Animal Hospital. Both pit bulls had been involved in a biting incident, but the Irving Animal Shelter's quarantine space "was at capacity," so Villafane took her dogs to O’Connor's instead. The staff told Villafane that her dogs were so aggressive they could not keep them unless she would walk them herself twice a day. During one of those visits, her pit bulls fatally attacked her.
The vicious attack lasted 31 minutes and was captured on the animal hospital's surveillance cameras. Police did not release any of the footage.
Cabrera's death also marks the second teenager killed by a dog this year -- the rarest of all age groups for victims of fatal dog maulings. Both attacks involved multiple dogs on the owner's property. In May, Ryan Hazel, 14, was killed by five protection trained dogs (Belgian malinois and Dutch shepherds) that he regularly cared for while their owner, elite dog trainer Scott Dunmore, was away. The 10 to 18-year old age group makes up 1.5% of all fatal dog attack victims.
Finally, less than two weeks ago, the Dallas-Fort Worth area (includes Arlington and Irving) made national headlines after an Arlington police officer shot a charging pit bull-mix and accidentally killed its owner, Margarita Brooks, 30, while performing a welfare check on her. The body cam footage was immediately released. The victims in the Irving dog mauling, Cabrera, and the police shooting, Brooks, were both homeless. The officer who fired on the dog was a new officer.
Evening Updates on Fatal Dog Attack
The Dallas Morning News reported that Elizabeth Cantu, Lorenzo's next-door neighbor, was awakened by the sounds of the dog attack at 4:30 am. "I heard yelling, I heard dogs," Cantu said. "I jumped out of bed and ran outside." I could tell those dogs were attacking someone, she said. Cantu tried to wake up Lorenzo by honking her truck's horn while her family called 911. She said Lorenzo had told her all three dogs could be aggressive. Cantu described them as "not nice."
Police do not know why Cabrera was in Lorenzo's backyard. "We don't want to speculate on what he might have been doing, but we definitely don't know why he was in that backyard," officer Reeves said. But that did not stop Lorenzo's daughter from voicing pathological vindictiveness. Christina Lorena posted to Facebook, "that motherfucker had no business jumping the fence while my dad was asleep! That's what yo ass gets," thus equating a "trespass" to the death penalty.
News flash to Lorena. In the United States of America, we do not met out a "death by dog mauling" penalty to any person, regardless of how grievous his or her crimes are because it is absolutely barbaric and unconstitutional. Criminal Trespass in Texas is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $2,000 and a jail term up to 180 days. For all we know at this stage, Cabrera may have been running from something himself. Irving police continue to investigate.
Four pit bull puppies seen on Guillermo Lorenzo's property after his pit bulls killed a teenager.
The pit bull owner's daughter stated on Facebook about Cabrera: "That's what yo ass gets."
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Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent "baseline" information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.
The sick mentality and attitudes of many Pitbull owners makes me so angry! They tend to be trashy type people with disgusting habits and lifestyles. Some do not exhibit all those same characteristics but the attitudes tend to be similar. To express such disdain for human life over that of an animal is animalistic in itself. You, Christina Lorena, are disgusting!
I agree, typically the photos that come from the locations of these attacks are so disturbing, so disgusting, so vile, that the conditions aren’t even fit for a dog, let alone human life. Nasty people, nasty dogs.
Look at the “yard”, the conditions those pits live in. The people living there are animals themselves. Their attitude is so typical.
The Irving Police Dept should now lead the national effort in regulating pitbulls because it’s time. Some countries ban them and I’m not saying ban them but require them to be spayed or neutered and MUZZLED in public. If you can’t muzzle your pitbull in public place, then you shouldn’t own a pitbull. If your dog intimidate you, that is an aggressive dog and a recipe for tragedy.
People need to start taking some responsibility for these dogs that pose a clear threat, even to their own owners! That’s the thing: Even their own owners!!
Christina Lorena’s vile comment just shows the repulsive nature of these people. Evil, just like the beasts they own.
Once again, pit bulls and their owners cover themselves in glory.
This boy did not deserve to die, even if he was trespassing. The daughter of the owner of the pit bulls says it all…..no compassion for the dead person, but boo hoo for the dead pit bull…
It’s always a tragedy when anyone other than the owner is killed by these monsters. When owners are killed, the dogs do us all a favor by eliminating human trash from our society. After the owner is killed, the dogs are euthanized. A win/win for everyone.
Is anyone really surprised? Typical psycho pit owners.
If fatal dog attacks for trespass aren’t a crime, why is still illegal to plant landmines in the yard or rig a hand grenade that kills when a gate is opened?
Our laws were written before bully dogs were being mongered as normal pets. In the past, a dog bite was a bite and release. Normal dogs wanted the intruder to leave; if they bit they let go so the intruder could leave, and live.
The true experts of “kill or die trying” dog behavior, the dog fighters, know that pits/bully dogs are different and are the best at attacking and not stopping. That’s why they all choose pits.
Bully people insist that they want their dogs to be treated equally. Okay.
Make it fair.
Decriminalize the killing of any trespassing pit bull, including puppies. Make it fair.
“She had no business coming into my yard, so I killed her.”
Quote snip: “…If fatal dog attacks for trespass aren’t a crime, why is still illegal to plant landmines in the yard or rig a hand grenade that kills when a gate is opened? …”
You raise a valid point.
In this case, the law exists/does not exist solely due to strong popular demand. There is strong popular demand to own vicious dogs, so therefore, possessing them securely is not illegal. Maybe this particular death could have been avoided if proper warning signs were properly posted. Maybe signs were posted? Maybe it was low light conditions that prevented notice of the signs? Were warning signs required in this jurisdiction, even if the dogs have never battered anyone?
I wish the Irving Police Department would post the video of the Veterinary hospital security tape from the fatal owner mauling.
Videos such as that should be required viewing at every Pit Bull Awareness Event, and all local government meetings where dog laws are being discussed.
Typical response from the daughter. This makes me so angry. This was a 16 year old boy, a human life snuffed out in the most horrendous way. Whatever the reason for being in that yard that night, no one deserves that fate, ever. As usual, the scum that own these dogs show their true colours.
Christina Lorena uses a whole lotta filters on her FB selfies and she has an unusual amount of scantily clad, public bathroom selfies and kissy mouth posing. But my favorite is that she posted actual porn of herself on FB. It appears she is using the extra trafic to her FB to promote herself. Yes, classy pitbull lady.
Yuck! I don’t even want to look.
Ahhhh, yes…the classy, compassionate, well spoken humanity of your average pit bull advocate on full display once again.
“That’s what yo ass gets” for what, exactly, Christina Lorena? A sixteen year old child deserved to die a violent, agonizing, terrifying death because he stepped foot on your father’s shithole property?
Now, if I were a pit bull owner, this is where I would say I hope you or your child meets the same end so you can feel the same pain as his family. But see, I’m a human being and I have compassion and forgiveness in my heart. You unfortunately must have lost yours somewhere down the line. It must have been the way you were raised, right? Like those pit bulls you love? Your daddy must be proud of the soulless degenerate he raised, who is now justifying the death of a child. Yo ass is super classy, girl!
My condolences to the family of young Mr. Cabrera. How truly awful.
Thank you for your words.
My name is Hortencia Cruz
Mother of Nelson cabrera…
Was there a sign posted on the fence warning of vicious dogs? Is there a law in that jurisdiction requiring such signs to be posted? In Prescott, there are some fenced properties that contain certain dogs that have never gotten loose, and have never bitten anyone. But, everyone knows that those certain dogs display an unmistakable, full warning of extreme viciousness to anyone who walks past the fenced property. My guess is that if the dogs have never battered anyone, posting a warning sign is not required by law. But, due to the viciousness that is displayed when pedestrians walk past, maybe legislators think that no law needs to be enacted?
This message was posted on by a “John Nezat” on Christina Lorena’s facebook page:
“John Nezat Hello we are pitbull lovers and trying to reach your father to help him get his dogs back! We are so sorry for the loss of pregnant bella we would hate to see the loss of the other 2 babies please reply to our message on messager. We do have connections so please reatch out”
Honestly, what horrible, trashy people. I cannot imagine wanting to keep a bunch of dangerous, killer dogs. The callousness of these people is staggering.
Trespassing is hardly something that deserves such a horrific death. Owning and breeding killer dogs is a far worse crime that petty trespassing.
Well, it appears this victim may have been homeless.
This year seems to be the year of the pack attack and the year of attacks on homeless persons.
That yard is about as disgusting as it gets.
https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Teen-Officer-Injured-in-Irving-Dog-Attack-533392601.html
Homeless at age 16…that’s so sad. And for his life to end like this. It’s awful.
I really can’t believe the reaction of the owner. He’s weepy over his horrible, killer dog but isn’t bothered at all that someone died a violent death on his property. I can’t fathom how one could value property over a human life. It makes me angry.
The “he deserved it” crowd is out in droves there. Fucking sociopaths.
They really are. They’re the lowest form of trash.
The top rated comments in this article are disgusting.
Just what everyone wants next door- the progeny of a man-killer. If our culture had any sanity where dogs were concerned all these dogs and they pups would be euthanized immediately, their owners responsible for the victims funeral costs, charges of at least involuntary manslaughter and banned from dog ownership for LIFE with jail time if they get another.
To be honest, I’m flabbergasted by this one.
We have a family, living in what appears to be, abject poverty…turning their hands to whatever will bring in next month’s food…fixing old cars, raising pitbull puppies, dogfighting, what-have-you. Their teenager is bashing on another miserable teenager for getting murdered by her father’s dogs.
I suppose if one’s young life is THAT messed up already, it seems normal to her that property is more important than people, then death of someone about property, is somehow, deserved. Clearly, from her selling of herself as property means that property rights are more important to her, than her own self-worth.
Not only should authorities they take every dog out of that property, assess, restrict and possibly euthanize it–someone needs to intervene with that teenager because her parents’ lifestyle has clearly impacted her ability to make good decisions or see her own–never mind anyone else’s–humanity.
The last thing that would be good for her is getting involved with a bunch of self-absorbed pitbull fetishists.
What an unholy mess with a dead kid at the bottom of the pitbull pile. I can’t imagine what that young fellow’s friends and family must be going, through.
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Sadly, the owner’s of the dogs care no more about the dog’s lives, than they did about the victim. They are not upset that the momma dog died, because she is dead. They are upset that their breeding dog is dead. They can not produce more dollar bills from her. Though no doubt they will just breed the others they own. Again, stopping these animals from being born is the only solution to preventing more tragedies from occuring. My condolences to this poor victim, and his family. My prayers for the owner’s families lost souls
I’m thinking you’ve hit the nail on the head. He cared more for the value of whatever is in that “yard” than he did the value of human life. And he cared more for the money that Bella brought twice a year producing puppies than he did for her as an individual dog… one can just look at the conditions the dogs lived in to see that. Some pit bull pushers are slavishly devoted to the breed with misguided “love,” but all I see in this story is greed. I wonder how much he gets for those puppies? And I wonder if he will disclose to the buyers that their parents killed a teenager? Sadly, in the types of circles this man must run in, it would probably increase their value.
If this man had SHOT a teen coming over his fence, or had BEATEN a teen to death for coming over his fence, or had lain LAND MINES which killed a teen coming over his fence, he’d be facing a trial. If he had a dangerous animal like a cougar or tiger kept in that yard and a teen had gained access and been killed, he’d be facing a trial with the prosecution claiming that he should have kept the deadly animal inaccessible. Apparently pit bulls are the one way to dispatch someone without any repurcussions at all besides MAYBE having your dogs taken away.
Amen Dixie.
Here’s what I fail to get, lately. We have BSL here. That means, all pitbulls must be muzzled in public or be taken away. Immediately. Yet, I never see these dogs around with muzzled. Yuppers, that’s twue wuv, right there, folks.
Also, it is illegal to buy or breed them. This law has now been on the books for over a decade. Yet, this summer, FOUR new, young pitbulls have moved into the neighbourhood. Why are all the pitbulls not old and decrepit by this point?
How is it that there are not already, almost extinct here?
That should be the goal of BSL, IMO. Extinguish the breed. BSL was designed to be kind to those who grandfathered their dogs in, to let them keep their pets until there were no more pitbulls in the province. That way, there would be no further mounds of dead and sick pitbulls cluttering up the shelter systems as they would be phased out without killing people’s pets. Dogfighting could be stopped for the most part, because no dogs are “gamier” than pitbulls.
Sadly, it’s not working.
Pitbull nutters don’t “love” these dogs any more than people who encourage the breeding of mutant, English bulldogs “love” dogs. This is about dollars. Not about sense or compassion.
If there’s no compassion for the suffering dogs, there’s not likely to be much for their human victims, either.
I have three nephews serving in law enforcement. I know that each one of them would have the courage to jump over a fence and place their bodies between the attacking dogs and any person. They would do so without hesitation, risking their own lives to save another. Risking their wives being widows and their children being fatherless. To imagine them doing so, and then think about how this homeowner and commenters are callously saying the boy deserved to die… I just can’t fathom how that would make them feel. These officers who courageously fought to save this boy are basically being told that they should have just left the dogs to do “their job.” They’re being told that not only was their bravery wasted, but that they did something wrong in shooting one of the attacking dogs. What an insult. I’m just heartbroken for them. They’ve witnessed something beyond gruesome, something they will revisit over and over again all their lives. One even bears the physical scars. And the dogs’ owner has the audacity to say that the dogs were just doing what they were supposed to do. What a shame. What a hard hearted, base, unfeeling, low individual. I can only guess at how those law enforcement officers feel. I know how I would if this had been one of my brave nephews.