Both Dog Owners Face Involuntary Manslaughter Charges
Stanley Hartt, 64, was killed by a pack of dogs while walking in Tucumcari, New Mexico
Owner Speaks Out
UPDATE 02/15/23: A dog owner charged with two felony offenses after his dogs escaped their property and killed a man claims his mother is to blame. 64-year old Stanley Hartt was discovered dead on February 1 after being mauled by a pack of dogs belonging to Kristopher Morris and his mother, Mary Montoya. Both were charged with involuntary manslaughter and felony possession of a dangerous dog. Officers shot and killed one of Morris’ dogs named “Zena” at the scene.
Morris got Zena in 2020 then gave her to his mother who had a backyard until he found a home that allowed large dogs. On Morris’ social media pages, a male dog named “Blu” is also seen. That dog, a Labrador-pit bull cross, also appears on his mother’s Facebook page, and seemingly on the lapel video from police, who confiscated the dog that night at Montoya’s home. Blu has similar markings on his right lower leg. Blu had escaped Montoya’s home on December 20.
Dramatic Lapel Camera Video
KOB obtained lapel camera footage from officers who responded to the attack. In the video, police tell a woman that “a pack of dogs” killed the man. She replies, “Do you really think it was dogs that did this? It looks like he got run over or something.” After police shot Zena, which had blood its snout, they spotted another dog. That search led them to Montoya’s home, who initially told officers she only had a puppy. Then officers saw a blue dog inside of a crate with blood on its face.
“That’s the dog we were chasing,” the officers states (which can be heard growling in the background). Montoya feigns, “Are you serious?” But, “She’s only a puppy.” The caged dog has similar right paw markings as Blu, but in January 2022, Zena had a litter of puppies, several of which were blue. So, at the very least Blu sired that litter. By viewing Montoya’s Facebook Timeline, it becomes clear that Blu died two or three days after escaping on December 20.
According to Montoya, Blu “got hit by a car and broke his back.” When asked if his back could be fixed, Montoya said, “No it was very bad.”
As stated in the arrest affidavit, the female blue Labrador-pit bull cross named “Lady” is likely the caged dog seen in the lapel video. Lady was very likely an offspring of Blu. The female dog shot at the scene, “Zena,” is a red boxer, pit bull and Labrador” mix. The tan German shepherd-mix involved in the attack, “Tank,” did not appear in any social media posts of Monotoya or Morris, nor did two smaller dogs confiscated by police from Montoya’s home, named “Oreo” and “Spike.”
Despite all of the “Labrador“ mix language in the arrest affidavit and by Montoya, she primarily posted pit bull advocacy memes after Blu died just before Christmas, such as a “Pit Bull Prayer,” and “We’re Lovers not Fighters” and “I am a pit bull, I am a best friend, I am a family member … I am misunderstood.” Finally, it seems incredulous that Morris would blame his mother for the dogs habitually escaping since she told police, "she takes care of [his dogs] because he does not."
Zena seen on the dog owner's TikTok page prior to the fatal pack attack in Tucumcari.
Lady (left) the likely offspring of Blu (right) seen on the lapel footage after fatal pack attack.
02/08/23: Dog Owners Face Felonies
On Wednesday, authorities arrested and charged a mother and son in connection to the mauling death of Stanley Hartt. Mary Montoya, 50, and Kristopher Morris, 27, each face one count of felony involuntary manslaughter and felony possession of a dangerous dog. Hartt was discovered dead on February 1 at an intersection in Tucumcari. Investigators said his body had “numerous bite marks” and large portions of his legs appeared “to have been eaten away by animals.”
According to the arrest affidavits, investigators found the dog pack shortly after the fatal attack; one of the dogs had blood on its snout. A deputy shot and killed that dog, described as a boxer-lab-pit bull mix “to prevent further harm to the public.” Deputies shot a second dog too, but that dog fled down an alley on West High Street. Deputies followed that dog, which also had blood on its face, to Montoya’s home in the 400 block of West High Street, where she let the dog inside.
State police said Montoya told investigators that multiple dogs lived with them, including dogs named Lady, Oreo and Spike. Montoya said the dogs “belonged to her son, but she takes care of them because he does not.” The dog that was shot and killed by the Quay County deputy, “Zina,” often jumped the fence in the backyard and had bitten at least two people previously, according to the affidavit. Montoya said the dogs would habitually leave the house and “return hours later.”
Morris also admitted to investigators that his dogs had a history of escaping the property and attacking residents, but “claimed the dogs were not aggressive.” Morris even showed police where in the broken fence the dogs would escape. Police characterized the fence as being in “severe disrepair.” Both the mother and son were charged because both were aware the dogs were dangerous, allowed them roam freely, and did nothing to prevent the dogs from escaping.
Mary Olimpia Montoya and Kristopher Jaquaris Morris were charged with multiple felonies.
02/03/23: Man Killed by Dog Pack
Tucumcari, NM - On Thursday, the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau announced that a man in Tucumcari had been killed by a pack of five dogs. The Quay County Sheriff’s Office requested that the agency investigate the death of 64-year old Stanley Hartt. The deadly attack occurred on February 1 at about 8:00 pm while Hartt was walking on 11th Street near Gamble, states the release. Hartt was pronounced dead at the scene by the Office of Medical Investigator.
One of the five dogs was “euthanized by a Quay County Sheriff’s deputy” following the attack, states the release. The remaining dogs have been located and turned over to Quay County Animal Control, states the release. All five dogs were initially described as mixed-breeds. In an advisory update, while authorities still searched for the dogs, the Quay County Sheriff’s Office described one of the dogs as a “tan German Shepherd mix.” The last dog was found by 11:00 am Thursday.
The Quay County Sun spoke to Tucumcari City Manager Paula Chacon, who said that a full-time animal control officer for Tucumcari would likely begin work this week -- police had been handling animal complaints during the absence of this. Both Undersheriff Russell Shafer and Tucumcari Mayor Ralph Moya said that a fatal dog attack was unprecedented in the city and county, which is about 175 miles east of Albuquerque. “I’ve never heard of a dog attack like this,” Shafer said.
The Sun also noted that Hartt had recently written a guest column for the publication. In a piece titled, “Best days still coming for Tucumcari,” published in November 2022, Harrt wrote that he had settled in Tucumcari in early 2021. He liked the “haunting quality of this place.” He was thankful “about all the things Tucumcari is missing,” such as floods, tornadoes or wildfires, as well as “excessive crime, mass shootings and political crazies.” There was no mention of loose dogs.
Quay County authorities identified one of the suspected dogs as a tan German shepherd-mix.
Tucumcari residents set up a memorial where Stanley Hartt was killed by a pack of dogs.
Related articles:
02/08/22: 2022 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Dies After Attack by Dogs in Doña Ana County, New Mexico
08/01/22: 2021 Dog Bite Fatality: 6-Year old Boy Killed by Dogs in Doña Ana County, New Mexico
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 linked article by Mr. Hartt in Collen’s post is heartbreaking. He comes across as a kind and gentle man, and a darn good writer. He talks about the peace and comfort he’s found in his new community, immune from so many disasters. Ironically, he mentioned how much he loves to take walks. Little did he know, we live in a world where that’s not safe anymore. In some way, Mr. Hartt is a martyr for the children who went to school right where this dog pack killed him. May he rest in peace.
The disproportionate danger and death that accompanies dogs that were and still are specifically created to be disproportionately dangerous and deadly is a horrific man-made national disaster.
It is cruel to continue to breed dogs whose default behavior is to attack and not stop.
If we were a sane kind society, DNA tests would be performed on every dog killing dog, every horse killing dog, every human maiming / killing dog, and then that information would be used to require sterilization of those disproportionately dangerous dogs.
The mix labeling is just crock .it’s just a lame excuse for saying it’s pitbull .it the dog were pitbull that killed him people can goes out walking without getting killed the these dangerous dogs.
It’s easy to see the attraction of Tucumcari and the Route 66 area for Mr. Hartt. He moved from Albuquerque, NM to Tucumcari, New Mexico in 2021. The Mother Road, Route 66, must have been dear to his heart. I remember the quirky name of Tucumcari as I motorcycled along Route 66. Amarillo, Texas was where I first saw a double rainbow. The Grand Canyon in Arizona was where I first saw the Persiads, the night of the shooting stars, which return every August.
There was a magic about the Southwest for this Chicago gal, who started off there at the origin of my Route 66 motorcycle trip.
It sounds like Mr. Hartt remembered his youth before they became golden days of the setting sun. It was a time when pitbulls were not terrorizing The Great Outdoors. Mr. Hartt’s death is all the more tragic when we reflect on this change in America where one cannot walk outside without fear. I see his death as an iconic symbol of our country’s loss.
Join me in a tribute to Mr. Hartt and Route 66. I think he would have loved this Google Doodle.
https://youtu.be/ZoPJVcHYlU0
If you open the Google Doodle in the YouTube app, make sure you start at the zero point. You don’t want to miss any of this exquisite video.
The number of people just minding their own business, and trying to enjoy life, that are tragically mauled by dogs they do not own, is mind boggling. Walking or riding a bike down a road should not be a death penalty offense. The number of dog owners allowing their pets to roam Needs to be addressed. My thoughts are with the families of these recent victims.
Exactly.
Thanks to one of my neighbors, whose pit bull just happened to be loose in the front yard as I was walking by, I bought a tactical cane that I now carry with me.
Saw the same neighbor yesterday with his girlfriend. Both were walking pit bulls on the sidewalk.
I was walking the other way, and did they get themselves and their rescued fur babies off the sidewalk so I could have the right of way and pass safely? Nope.
Since they’re dog owners, I was supposed to stay on the sidewalk so I could worship the fur babies. As in, coo all over them so that this couple could get their narcissistic supply.
Instead, I got off the sidewalk and got into the street so I could pass by this couple.
The dog owner entitlement mentality knows no bounds.
Sorry but the number of pit bulls, Rottweiler and other pit bull types needs to be STOPPED! It’s not just about dogs out roaming because most dogs that escape their fence don’t go on a murder spree! Mostly just pit bulls! Too many people try to conflate these deadly pit bull attacks with all dogs bites including the 2 pound chihuahua!
What a pack of dogs does can be related to its ancestry. Years ago I was involved in depopulating a group of feral dogs fed by an elderly man. There were likely about seventy dogs on the property. Yet that pack had not hurt anybody. They were not pitbulls. We put down 50-60 dogs that day and left 10-15 dogs. We released any dog that the elderly man said he wanted. These dogs were very unsocialized and very tough to handle. What if they had been pitbulls?
That’s a fascinating story, Rachel. I’m speculating that pitbulls would kill each other at a rate to keep the population lower than that. I hope that horror scene isn’t playing out anywhere.
So, the dogs would get loose often and attack residents, but they were not aggressive, according to the owners. I’m just boggled by this attitude.
This attitude just yielded the duo 2 felony offenses that no jury will acquit on!
I am not so sure about that.
So many people think dogs can do no wrong.
Many dog owners feel they have no responsibility for the actions of their dogs.
Sadly more often then not the law agrees.
It will be interesting to see what happens.
I hope you are correct and they both get felony convictions and jail time.
I wont be surprised if they plead down to misdemeanors, probation and community service.
This is an outrageous outcome in the case of a little Grace who was killed by her grandparents’ Rottweiler. A known to be vicious dog that its trainer insisted should be put down immediately. It took the death of a little girl to finally make that happen. The grandparents got off scot-free.
https://www.animals24-7.org/2023/02/07/rottweiler-owners-walk-for-death-of-granddaughter-olivia-grace-floyd-7/
This case sickens the heart, especially of those who faithfully report on the egregious legal aftermath of maulings…or lack thereof.
https://blog.dogsbite.org/2022/01/7-year-old-girl-killed-by-rottweiler-waynesboro-virginia.html
My remark intended for Teresa and others specifically about the Virginia Rottweiler case where both the grandparents and parents were at fault for the 7-yr-old’s horrific death.
In a TV Interview today, “He says he can’t believe what happened and says Mary Montoya is to blame.” Morris, the son, is blaming his mother for the mauling death of. Stanley Hartt. His mother’s backyard is where he collected a pack of dogs until he had a home with
The rest of it….
until he had a home with
The rest of it….
until he had a home with a large enough backyard.
Stanley Hartt tried to jump a fence to escape the 5-pack of dogs. A resident found a 450-foot trail of blood down the street. At least 2 dogs with blood on their faces.
Lie upon lie:
Mother to first responders: Zena is only a puppy. (Zena weighed 50 lbs when it was shot)
Son to media: I was trying to train it to be a therapy dog.
Infuriating! A terribly painful and frightful ending for Mr. Hartt. No free bites or easy sentences for this son and his mother.
Error on my part re “Zena is only a puppy.” The 50-lb Zena was shot by the officer, thank goodness. I attributed the puppy protest by the mother to the wrong dog.
The gist is the same, however, so a lie by the mother. Lady, the “blue and white Lab and pitbull mix” was not a small puppy. It came home with blood on its face. Both Zena and Lady escaped from the property often and went prowling together.
Both Morris, the son, and Montoya, the mother, should serve the maximum sentences.
Here’s a couple links to news article that show some photos of the dogs involved in the attack
https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/albuquerque-metro/lapel-video-shows-police-responding-to-deadly-dog-attack-in-tucumcari/
https://www.krqe.com/news/crime/owner-of-dog-in-fatal-tucumcari-dog-attack-speaks-out/
https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/1-dead-in-tucumcari-dog-pack-attack/
We are working on it. But it is more complicated than what it appears! Will be posting by end of day.
This post has been updated with more information about the dogs involved.
Great update on the dogs on Feb 15, Colleen. Both the photos of some of the pack, as well as the mother’s pitbull memes.
OMG, what a horrific crime scene. That poor soul endured so much suffering. These owners are the usual ignorant fools we see day after day. This is another example of how pitbulls have contaminated the bloodlines of so many breeds. We can see where the genetics win out even if bred with a labrador or whatever. And the bold face lying. That growling mutant mutt from hell in that cage. “Just a puppy!” Give me a break. I’m glad at least they have camera footage. I can spot pit blood in almost every “rescued” dog I see now. Time bombs. I have a sick feeling these pathetic liars will get a light sentence or a financial slap on the wrist.
Photos of Stanley Hartt reveal a surprisingly youthful man whose affability attracted new friends in Tucumcari.
His fitness testifies to the viciousness of the 2 pitbull mix dogs and 3 other dogs that stole his life.
It’s plain to see Stanley Hartt’s death leaves a pain in hearts that welcomed this new fella into their community. What a loss!
The TV broadcast:
https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/community-mourns-tucumcari-man-killed-in-dog-attack/
I find the look of smug stupidity on the son’s face in the “Zena had a litter of puppies” link above infuriating. Pitbull breeders are …people who don’t make a positive contribution to society.
Where was animal control after dogs at that address jumped the fence twice to bite people?
Once again we have a death that could have been prevented if AC had done their job.
I wonder if it is legal to have 5 dogs in one house in this area?
Seems like “control” isn’t the first thing on Animal Control’s agenda these days. They’re more of a Department of Pitbull Proliferation.
Animal control is to blame. I’m from nearby city of Clovis, there were dog attacks in my neighborhood. Animal control came out and took a dog. Yet same owner has 3 more dogs and lets them roam the streets. Animal control is buddy buddy with the dog owner. Another mauling just waiting to happen, both should be accountable the owner and lackluster / criminally negligent animal control services. If you see a dog without a leash running around, call animal control, do your part, before a child or elderly person or yourself gets mauled. Also laws are way too lax, reckless owners should get mandatory sentences starting with 6 months for any of their dogs bites to other people if they can’t control their dogs.
A report on Mr. Hartt’s memorial service in Tucumcari. It includes a VERY disappointing report from the new Animal Control Services Officer Huber that these other 4 dogs have not been put down yet. These animals were part of the pack that mauled Stanley Hartt in a gruesome death.
Apparently, Tucumcari, New Mexico, has not yet taken the gruesome death of Mr. Hartt very seriously.
“During the city commission meeting, new animal control officer Elijah Huber said those four dogs showed aggression when they initially were placed at the pound, but their behavior is improving.”
https://www.qcsunonline.com/story/2023/03/01/news/memorial-held-for-dog-attack-victim/24498.html?m=true
On the matter of new animal control officer Elijah Huber saying “those four dogs showed aggression when they initially were placed at the pound, but their behavior is improving.”
Please feel free to express your view on this by calling or writing:
City of Tucumcari
215 East Center Street
PO Box 1188
Tucumcari, NM 88401
Ph: (575) 461-3451
No names or emails given on the municipal website. Hopefully, their emails will be given out.
From local media:
*Tucumcari Mayor Ralph Moya
*Tucumcari City Manager Paula Chaco
The trials for involuntary manslaughter of Stanley Hartt in Feb 2023 in Tucumcari, New Mexico are beginning.
I spoke with the City’s top official to express my concern that the new Animal Control Officer not rehome the 4 dogs left. The ACS officer had commented that their behavior was getting better. This despite the fact that Zena returned to Mary Montoya’s home with blood on its muzzle. Plus news sites reported that 5 dogs mauled Stanley Hartt to death.
I was assured that the City of Tucumcari wants to do everything according to the letter of the law. The 4 dogs are being held in isolation. I expressed my strong concern that no more Tucumcari residents be mauled again. The City is being cautious so nothing will go wrong.
I forgot to mention to this official that the ACS officer’s previous employment was with Maricopa County which has a number of no-kill animal shelters.
The best other news article besides DBO was linked in my previous comment here.
Keep after them. It seems to me, if any of the 4 remaining dogs mauls anyone else… the city would be held liable. $$$s. You might remind the Mayor of the city’s potential liability. Euthanizing the dogs absolves future liability.
For me, if mayor, this would be a “no brainer” decision.
Yet another newcomer to Tucumcari, New Mexico has been mauled by a pit bull. He and his wife moved there a few weeks ago from Utah. “John Nichols says he’s lucky to be alive.” Police said it was a Level 5 bite. Level 6 is death.
https://www.qcsunonline.com/story/2023/06/28/news/dog-attack-lands-local-man-in-hospital/24907.html