A woman, 73, was killed by vicious dogs in her condominium complex in Ashville. Other people and dogs were also attacked. The dogs had a history of violence, including killing dogs previously.
Woman Killed
Ashville, OH - A woman died after being attacked by dogs in her condominium complex on Thursday. Police received the 911 call at 3:11 pm. Jo Echelbarger, 73, was outside when two dogs escaped a home and started attacking people, according to witnesses. First responders were dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of Kildow Court, part of The Reserve at Ashton Village. Echelbarger was transported to Grant Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead shortly after 4:00 pm.
Ashville Village administrator Bert Cline said the attack was "kind of a shock to the system," adding that dog attacks in the complex are uncommon. He was told that legal action to remove the dogs had been filed in Pickaway County two weeks ago. Cline did not know the details. But a woman named Kimberlee told a private group, "I was attacked by the dog that killed my neighbor last October 26, 2023 2:36 pm. That day forever changed me and sent my life into a downward spiral of PTSD hell."
She publicly discussed the attack on her Facebook page last year. "To date the dog owner failed to meet his requirements … to date dog was evicted by HOA and have ignored the 14 day notice … to date the HOA and the Pickaway Co. Dog Warden want to play a game of tug-o-war over who is responsible for removing the dog." Her puppy "Nemo" was also attacked. "Had he not been with me when I was attacked, I would have been Apollo’s casualty that day. I can never unsee the attack on my sweet boy."
Kimberlee refers to the dog owner as "Adam," and says she was "Apollo's" third human victim and that Nemo was Apollo's third dog casualty.
In the recent attack, a woman who witnessed it wrote on Nextdoor: "I heard the screaming and ran down to see the dogs on top of her." She said police shot one of the dogs five times, but it still retreated into a home. Police had to enter to verify the dog was dead. The second dog also attacked people before it was killed. Shift Capt. Jeff Rosencrance of Harrison Township said that fire and EMS had responded to the same set of condos at least three times in the past year for animal attacks.
Rosencrance did not know if the multiple calls involved the same dog owner or the same dogs. But the dogs that attacked Echelbarger reside on Kildow Court, Rosencrance said. He described the victim's injuries in the recent attack as "a vicious and gruesome attack." Audio dispatch logs from Pickaway County Police and Fire, published by Broadcastify, state on October 17 at 3:13 pm: "You've got an active dog attack. 645 Kildow Court. Caller is advising the dog is attacking a male and his dog."
The local paper, The Scioto Post, published details on Facebook yesterday. "According to reports, two aggressive pit bulls were in the area of Kildow Court where at least one of the dogs attacked a person causing serious injuries." An officer "was forced to use lethal force to protect himself and others in the area." The second pit bull was described as brown. "Within a few minutes, there was a second report of a brown pit bull in the area of Ashville Middle School, where it was attacking another dog."
"Apollo" is a tan male pit bull, owned by Adam Withers. He also owns "Echo," a brown and white male pit bull, potentially of the XL variety. Yesterday, Withers accused a person of shooting "innocent dogs inside private property." He also said, "My neighbor is dead." Some commenters chimed in, "I hope they put you in jail" and "Your dog killed another dog and an old lady." His Facebook page is loaded with pit bull and bully breed memes. It's unclear if Withers has any interests beyond pit bull breeds.
The suspected fatally attacking dogs, two male pit bull terriers, Apollo and Echo.
A woman, 73, was killed by vicious pit bulls in the Ashton Village condominium complex.
View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Ohio Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.Related articles:
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09/26/23: 2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Toledo Woman, 70, Killed by Family Pit Bull-Labrador Mix...
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.
Wow I’m disgusted that his killer dog was kicked out from hoa.he ignore the notice his killer dog killed or attacked
someone else before.he didn’t give a dam about it.now his killer dog killed another lady.he tried his best not them to get his pitbull.now she is dead wow she must’ve horrified getting killed by those ugly pitbull.jo she live to be 70 and she got killed by dogs.I hope he get years in jail and they put the pitbull down.
that owner is scary in part because there so many like him . i have had death threats fron these ex military types for daring to say they aren’t good dog trainers, best descibed mysoginsit violent uneducated drunk pit bull nutters! ……..
Also how many type of pitbull are there first I thought there was only one type pitbull the pit bull terrier there pitbull XL staffy pitbull.
Adam Withers — another seriously sociopathic pit bull owner let loose on society. And none of the local authorities appear to have been doing their jobs — only the first responders, of course, who always get called in when it’s too late to do anything but clean up the sickening, blood-soaked crime scene.
Adam Withers — the name needs to become synonymous with wanton murder in Ashville, Ohio.
Oh I didn’t fully read the story they shot dead those monster. What a happy ending those pitbull can no longer hurt anyone. I wonder if they catch him if he going to be in jail for a long time.I already know the excuse he come up if he was interview my dogs aren’t monster .they was looking for me. They was scared it the old lady fault. They lying about my dogs because they’re pitbull they are misunderstood dogs my dogs are pitbull and everyone hate them and they get a bad rap. I don’t why my pitbull did this I don’t why they snap.
omg the owner is best described as a violent aggressive ex marine with anger and drinking issues….i know they type its scary
Colleen dont be silly hes got lots of interest outside bully breeds? drinking and violence seem to be prevalent hobbies
This was not the dogs first attack victim! Why didn’t animal control take action immediately after the first incident? Now, because of a nut job owner who wouldn’t control
his dog a woman has paid the price for his neglect.
I’m sick of hearing this shit!
I love animals but if a killer dog was allowed to run the neighborhood I’d shoot to kill if it came into my yard.
Once again, tragic on so many levels. More than 20+ years ago, there was a story out of eastern Washington about a man who was dragged from his wheelchair and mauled to death by two pitbulls. At the time, I found out that these dogs tend to prey on the disabled, children and the elderly. In other words, the most vulnerable in society. As a woman in my 70’s, i’ve stopped walking our beautiful trails and parks. Even my lovely neighborhood no longer feels safe. (We have 2 pits around the block. The owner thinks it’s cute to let them off lead to roll around in people’s front yards.) When I garden outside my fence, I’m on high alert now. My point is that this phenomenon of so many pits/mixes is not only increasing, it’s also a major public safety issue. And, yes, it’s been building up for decades. I rack my brain so often thinking what will it take to stop this senseless violence? It’s a rhetorical question in that nothing so far is being done. I think about this elderly woman being mauled to death my those hell dogs. She was just walking her dogs, and enjoying her twilight years. What a way to go.
I’ve stopped walking in our rural town and instead cross the highway to the cemetery or drive into the country to walk. It’s so incredibly unfair that normal people should have to fear walking in public spaces – especially those specifically designed for walking! – because of the risk of being mauled by pitbulls. We have a German Shepherd – Pitbull mix (terrible combo) next door to us who fortunately has never gotten loose, but the fear it will one day is always in the back of my head. About a block and a half away, there is a dilapidated trailer with FIVE pitbulls, and that owner often lets them run loose. For some unknown reason, city government allowed themselves to be persuaded to rescind a longstanding pitbull ban years ago, before we moved here for my husband’s job. You are correct – the problem is escalating, as are the fatal and disfiguring maulings. I can’t believe we allow people to own supposedly domesticated dogs that kill over and over. Isn’t this why we domesticated dogs – so they would be beneficial to us and NOT kill and maim us?!?! And yet this breed that is demonstrably violent is allowed to be owned most often without any restrictions. I often wonder (and despair over) what it will take to tip the scales. I truly hope and pray this owner is prosecuted, but this was an entirely preventable tragedy.
I second all of these sentiments. A few years ago I moved to a fairly rural area in Northern California that is also home to mountain lions and bears — but it’s the dogs, including loose (and aggressive) pit bulls, that have stopped me from taking walks in my otherwise peaceful neighborhood. What should be pleasant outdoor exercise is just too risky and stressful.
This response was directed to Ashley’s and Teresa’s comments.