Toby Berkley, 40-years old, was killed by a pair of dogs in Snyder, Texas.
News Release
Snyder, TX - A man is dead after being mauled by multiple dogs on Thursday. On June 27, at approximately 6:00 am, Snyder police officers and Scurry County EMS were dispatched to the 2900 block of Avenue J in response to a person lying in the road. Upon arrival, they found 40-year old Toby Bryan Berkley deceased in the roadway. "At this time, it appears that Mr. Berkley was walking down the road and was killed in a dog attack," states a press release from Snyder Police Chief Mike Counts.
Preliminary autopsy results confirm death by dog attack. Both dogs involved were confiscated by Snyder Animal Control. The dog's owner has been identified. "The Texas Rangers were notified and are assisting in this investigation," states the release. The Texas Rangers don't usually get involved in fatal dog maulings. The Rangers are involved in murder, robbery, fraud, public corruption investigations, and "threats against the governor and other state and federal officials," according to their website.
This is why in the 19 years we have been reporting on fatal dog attacks the Rangers have only been tangentially involved in two deaths. The death of Robert Aguilera in 2005, where Bexar County law enforcement declined their help, and the death of Betty Wood in 2015. Assistance from the Rangers could rule out criminal elements. However, the Rangers do not operate like the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, which routinely takes over fatal dog mauling investigations in areas lacking resources.
Dangerous Texas City
Snyder is the county seat of Scurry County. In 2023, Snyder was ranked as the 2nd Most dangerous city in Texas, according to KQVT and Norada Real Estate Investments, states Wikipedia. Snyder is located 90 miles southeast of Lubbock, where Berkely previously resided, according to his Facebook pages and court records. Lubbock was listed as the 5th Most dangerous city in Texas. The city of Snyder paints a rosier picture, where tourists can form the "Y" and "X" in the festive Snyder city sign.
Dog Owner Goes Public
On Saturday, June 29, the owner of the pair of pit bulls, Marco Aguirre, went public on Facebook admitting his dogs were the culprits in attack that left his friend Toby Berkley dead. Aguirre repeats the tired and outlandish argument, "My dogs did there job and protected me and my property" (sic). Berkley was his friend, not a burglar. Aguirre also has no idea how his two pit bulls "got loose and put back in they cage." Yet another "exhausted cliche" excuse from an "exhausted cliche pit bull owner."
Aguirre, who taunts his dogs with gardening tools, does not grasp the Texas felony dog attack law either. "They are my dogs and I will take full responsibility for their actions but I will not take any responsibility for any foul play and actions my dogs did" (sic). The law states that if the dog owner "fails to secure the dog and the dog makes an unprovoked attack on another person," causing serious injury or death, at a location other than the owner's property, the person has committed an offense.
"I didn't do anything to Toby or stab him. He was my friend and people need to stop cause y'all not doing any good adding lies to his death ... I didn't let my dogs out on Toby either. The same way y'all love y'all's kids I love my dogs. For the people that know me y'all know I love my dogs they apart of me. I don't know how they got loose and put back in they cage. I was nowhere around when it happened. I'm not locked up cause I come forward and been cooperative with the Snyder Police Department. And I got a city warrant for verbal assault and that doesn't make me a freaking fugitive. My dogs did there job and protected me and my property and when they did bite it's cause they were doing there job ...
So yeah they are my dogs and I will take full responsibility for their actions but I will not take any responsibility for any foul play and actions my dogs did. Rest in peace Toby and I'm sorry man for everything you went through." - Marco A Aguirre
Rumors mount after a 40-year old man was killed by a pair of dogs in Snyder, Texas.
A pair of pit bulls owned by Marco Aguirre that live beside where Berkley was found dead.
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View the DogsBite.org Google State Map: Texas Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.Related articles:
09/29/22: 2022 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Killed, Woman Injured by Three Dogs in North Lubbock Park
05/11/21: 2021 Dog Bite Fatality: 46-Year Old Man Killed by Pit Bull in Big Spring, Texas
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.
Wikipedia:
“In 2023, Snyder was ranked as the 16th Worst place to live and 2nd Most dangerous according to KQVT and Norada Real Estate Investments.”
Excellent find!
Another day another fatal pitbull killing .why would Marco forced his pitbull to kill a men and this not the first time he done it multiple times is he a nutcase I’m surprise that he dogs didn’t turn on him and kill him he’s one lucky fool.
Obviously there needs to be more investigation on this case. What is obvious is that a man died from a dog attack.
This stuff is scary. Why should anyone be killed by dogs when walking down a road? This happens too often.
Last year when I was walking down a road at night looking for assistance, I thought about the danger of vicious dogs attacking me.
This town is pretty safe, but is any place in the USA today safe from these dogs? (A small town America police officer picked me up with no ID, no money, no credit cards, no cellphone, and a walker and took me to my destination.)
This is why I have a weapon IN MY HAND and ready to use. Too many people near me have pits or other aggressive dogs behind FOUR FOOT FENCES they could easily get over. The best solution is END the dogs when they attack or do as much damage to them as possible. If this happened routinely people would put their dogs up properly more often.
God forbid you ever have to shoot a pit or 3 as soon as you have stopped the dog’s attack start watching out for the owner.
Many times they are just as dangerous as the dogs.
The dog’s owner has publicly responded. We will be adding parts to the blog post. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0CkCXFYPNACEogvUVr1TiEzkk4j9bb5HLscEZQ6wq7ZbhMCmG5hiWnxvqVUWdbi9Ll&id=100052980400802
There are no words that can explain Marco’s stream of consciousness writing. It is a MUST-Read.
Yes, it’s a MUST read. However, the author of this insanity might do well to give no further interviews. Have his two dogs been confiscated?
Yes, the dogs were confiscated — that was in the police news release. “The two dogs involved in this attack have been secured at the Snyder Animal Shelter” https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=875596871277815&set=pb.100064825297134.-2207520000&type=3
It really is!
Some impressive mental gymnastics there.
Yup. Those dogs did THERE job, all right.
Marco seems like an average example of a pitbull owner.
Actually, there are a lot of Pit bull owners who don’t fit the Marco profile.
The real tragedy is our collective cognitive dependence on the canine for mental solace.
Time to open our eyes and end the delusion.