Bexar County Prosecution Closing Arguments In Punishment Phase of Fatal Dog Attack Trial

Prosecution presents closing arguments to 226th District Court Judge Velia Meza.

Closing Arguments
San Antonio, TX - On February 24, 2023, Ramon Najera, 81, was brutally killed by two pit bulls in front of his 75-year old wife, Janie Najera, in the 2800 block of Depla Street. One of the dogs tore a dialysis shunt out of Ramon's arm. "There was blood all over the place," one witness said. When San Antonio firefighters arrived, they fought off the pit bulls with pickaxes and pipe poles. Both dog owners pleaded guilty to one felony count in August. Last week, the punishment phase of the trial was held.

Judge Velia Meza will announce sentencing on September 20. Leading up to this, we are running several videos. The first is the testimony of Ramon's widow, Janie, who suffered critical injuries in the attack, followed by SAPD Officer Jesse Mendez, who was one of the first to arrive on the scene. Our last video in this series are the closing arguments by Bexar County prosecutor Raul Jordan, who walks through the "Negligence Timeline" and even points out the old scarring wounds on the pit bulls.

Jordan begins by declaring that the dog owners, Christian Moreno and Abilene Schnieder,1 showed "conscious indifference" to the dangers their dogs posed to the public. There were three previous bites leading up to the fatal attack, along with numerous neighbors confronting them about their aggressive dogs. During this period, prior to the deadly mauling, Moreno and Schnieder plastered a sign on their home that read: "Fuck you Cops, CPS, Mayor, Callers!!!! Suck a dick and go 2 hell."

Jordan also addresses the defense's argument that because the defendants are "poor" they used their pit bulls as a "security system." During the period of the previous bites, September 2021 to January 2023, the couple at times did not have electricity or running water, and dog feces were found smeared on the floors of their home. Yet, they always managed to come up with hundreds in cash to get their dogs out of impound ($1,000 total). "It doesn't make sense," Jordan said. "It's just so suspicious."

"Where are they getting the money? Why are they getting these dogs out of custody?" the prosecutor asked the court. "It's just so suspicious."

The maximum penalty under the Texas felony dog attack statute is 20 years in prison. "That is exactly what the state is asking for, 20 years," Jordan told the court. "We believe that every single one of those years is well-deserved." Extenuating circumstances include the judge weighing the defense's argument that the city of San Antonio could have processed these dogs as "dangerous dogs" due to their repeated bite history, which would have led to them being euthanized before the fatal attack.

During prosecution closing arguments, the state showed old scar wounds on pit bull "King."

Related articles:
09/19/24: San Antonio Police Officer Testifies In Punishment Phase of Fatal Dog Attack Trial
09/18/24: Janie Najera Testifies In Punishment Phase of San Antonio Fatal Pit Bull Attack Trial
09/09/24: 2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Horrific Pit Bull Mauling in San Antonio Kills One, Hospitalizes Two
09/09/24: Federal Civil Lawsuit Filed Against City: Najera et al v. City of San Antonio et al