Posted on May 10, 2017 by Colleen Lynn

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Family Pit Bull Kills Baby in Northwest Las Vegas

Kamiko Dao Tsuda-Saelee, 6-months old, was killed by her family pit bull in Las Vegas.

Mauling Victim Identified
UPDATE 05/09/17: The Clark County Coroner's Office identified the 6-month old baby as Kamiko Dao Tsuda-Saelee. On Monday, Kamiko had been playing in a baby walker near the family pit bull when it suddenly attacked her. The mother was able to stop the attack, but the baby was already seriously injured. Kamiko's mother rode with her in the ambulance to Centennial Hills Hospital Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead. No criminal charges are anticipated.

On Tuesday afternoon, the 9-year old male pit bull was euthanized, according to Clark County spokesman Dan Kulin. The owner surrendered the dog and it will not be rehomed. "A dog that has attacked and killed a person would not be allowed to be adopted," Kulin said in a statement.1 The county also released two photographs of the dog. The infant's grandfather, Ryan Tsuda, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, "We are all heartbroken." Tsuda declined to comment further.

Kamiko is the 513th American killed by a pit bull since we began collecting this data on the Fatal Pit Bull Attacks Archival Record website. Her death also marks the 210th child mauled to death by a pit bull since 1980, when the insidious pit bull problem began to emerge. Like many shelters in the U.S., The Animal Foundation in Las Vegas, which quarantined the dog for Clark County Animal Control, is brimming with unwanted pit bulls. Any takers for Jagger, posted earlier today?

Believing the false myth, "It's all how you raise 'em," kills a dozen children every year and maims over a thousand more. - DogsBite.org

The mother of the baby, Layla Tsuda, is originally from Kaneohe. She spoke to KHON2, which covers Hawaii. The baby's family clarified that the dog, named Mana, is a "purebred pit bull" and had lived with the family for nine years. The family was shocked at the dog's violence -- the dog was considered a good family pet. "I have no words to explain my pain," Layla said. Layla joins 210 other families who have lost a precious child due to unpredictable violent pit bull aggression.

05/08/17: Family Pit Bull Kills Baby
Las Vegas, NV - A family pit bull-mix mauled a baby to death in the northwest Las Vegas Valley, police said. The Metropolitan Police Department was dispatched to a home in the 9100 block of Brilliant Prairie Court, near West Centennial Parkway just after 1 pm, police spokeswoman Laura Meltzer said. The baby was transported in an ambulance to Centennial Hills Hospital, where it was pronounced dead. At the time of the fatal attack, the baby's mother was the only adult home.

"I think it's kind of ridiculous. I mean, how does it happen? How do you leave a dog with a baby? How does it happen?" - Neighbor Ron Tripodi

"It's an absolute, true tragedy," Las Vegas police spokesman Larry Hadfield said. "You have a family that's going to be grieving for today and the rest of their lives." The family dog that killed the baby is a "pit bull terrier-type mix," Hadfield said. Animal control took the dog into custody. As is standard with any young child's death, Metro's abuse and neglect division will investigate potential criminality, he said. The county coroner's office will release the identity of the baby in the future.

An evening update by the Las Vegas Review-Journal included more details. The baby had been playing in a baby walker near the dog when the animal suddenly attacked the child. The baby's mother was able to stop the attack, but not before significant injuries had been inflicted. The newspaper also noted that as of late Monday, The Animal Foundation, which provides sheltering services for Clark County Animal Control, would not allow the pit bull-mix to be photographed.

Clark County Dog Bite Fatalities

This baby's death marks the fifth deadly dog attack in Clark County, Nevada since 2008. All five dog bite fatality victims were children ages 9-years old or younger. Pit bulls and their mixes were responsible for 80% (4) of these child deaths. The victims include: Derion Stevenson, 9-years old (Las Vegas, 2016), Jeremiah Eskew-Shahan, 1-year old (Henderson, 2012), Alexander Adams, 2-years old (Las Vegas, 2008) and Cenedi Kia Carey, 4-months old (North Las Vegas, 2008).

Top Counties in Dog Bite Deaths

The below chart shows the U.S. counties with the highest number of fatal dog attacks recorded by DogsBite.org from January 1, 2005 to May 8, 2017. Our chart does not measure the incidence rate per 100,000 population, but we provided the estimated populations if you would like to do those calculations. There is no doubt that of this grouping of 16 jurisdictions, Dorchester County, South Carolina has the highest rate. American Indian Reservations are excluded from the list.

Leading U.S. Counties in Dog Bite Fatalities (2005 to Present)

Deaths	Jurisdiction	Estimated Population
7	Harris County, TX (Houston)	4.44 million
7	Riverside County, CA	2.32 million
7	Wayne County, MI (Detroit)	1.76 million
6	Maricopa County, AZ (Phoenix)	4.08 million
6	Miami-Dade County, FL	2.66 million
6	San Bernardino County, CA	2.11 million
6	San Diego County, CA	3.26 million
5	Bexar County, TX (San Antonio)	1.85 million
5	Clark County, NV (Las Vegas)	2.07 million
5	Cook County, IL (Chicago)	5.24 million
5	Dallas County, TX	2.51 million
5	Los Angeles County, CA	10.12 million
5	New York City, NY	8.49 million
4	Dorchester County, SC	148,469
4	Fresno County, CA	965,974
4	Montgomery County, OH	533,116

View the DogsBite.org Google State Map: Nevada Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

1Quite an interesting statement given the fiasco of "Onion" the mastiff-mix, a dog that killed a 1-year old on his Birthday in Clark County in 2012 then after two years of legal wrangling, was shipped to an out-of-state rescue.

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Colleen Lynn

Pit Bull Had Also Attacked His Mother Two Weeks Earlier

Robert Laughton and his pit bull that mauled his mother twice in Roseville, Michigan.

Judge Dismisses Case
UPDATE 08/17/17: In a very anticlimactic fashion, the felony charges against Robert Laughton were dismissed yesterday. Judge Marco Santia determined the two victims, Laughton's mother and her boyfriend, were co-owners of the pit bull and knew the risks involved with this dog. On April 30, Laughton's pit bull brutally attacked Suzette Laughton and Michael Mager. Both suffered damaging injuries. Two weeks earlier, his dog attacked Suzette as well, requiring 30 stitches.

After his dog inflicted a "series" of attacks, Laughton made headlines, crying to the media, "It's not my fault" and "I didn't do anything wrong."

This "intrafamily" pit bull mauling was never going to be easy to prosecute. The two victims did not want charges pursued. All three of them live together as well. We were surprised when Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith filed two felony charges against Laughton in May. However, the injuries his pit bull inflicted were extreme. Paramedics initially feared that Michael would lose both arms, and Suzette's injuries required 98 staples in her right arm and 74 staples in her left arm.

The first attack occurred on April 19. At that time, Laughton was issued a citation for harboring a vicious dog -- he was placed on legal notice. Roseville officials allowed him to home-quarantine the dog for 10 days and advised him to put the animal down afterward. But Laughton and his mother did not want to pay the $200 euthanasia fee and decided to "give the dog another chance." One day after the quarantine period ended, the pit bull unleashed its second violent attack.

Summary

After his dog inflicted a "series" of vicious attacks on family members, Laughton refused to accept any responsibility. This is after he had been put on legal notice by the city and after his dog attacked a second time. "I didn’t do anything wrong," Laughton told The Detroit News. "It's not my fault." Laughton gravely marginalized his mother's injuries back then too stating, "My dog bit my mom." He also failed to mention the gravity of damaging injuries suffered by her boyfriend.

Michael was "lying unconscious on the living room floor suffering from horrific bites" and "bleeding profusely from his wounds." - Roseville Police

Now that a judge has dismissed the felony charges against Laughton, can the public believe that he and his family have learned anything over the past four months? Possibly. He did have to hire an attorney and show up in court. The family also had two pit bulls. Still up to her ears in medical bills, Suzette made the remaining pit bull her Facebook cover photo on July 2. Now that the court has released Laughton, he's also free to obtain new pit bulls. So "possibly not" is a better answer.

05/04/17: Felony Charges Authorized
Roseville, MI - On April 30, a family pit bull brutal attacked a couple in their home in the 30000 block of Normal Street. Suzette Laughton, 52, was initially listed in critical condition and her boyfriend, Michael Mager, 51, was airlifted to a hospital due to his extreme injuries. The dog belongs to Suzette's son, Robert Laughton, 29. Two weeks earlier, his dog attacked Suzette as well, requiring 30 stitches. At that time, Robert was issued a ticket for harboring a vicious dog.

Robert lives with the couple, but was not home during the recent attack. After the April 19 attack, he home-quarantined the dog for 10 days. One day later, after Suzette released the dog from its kennel, it viciously attacked her again. When Michael intervened to help her, the dog turned on him, inflicting injuries so severe he was left unconscious. First responders initially feared he would lose both arms. On May 4, prosecutors authorized two felony charges against Robert Laughton.

"I grew up with dogs and love them dearly. But as owners we bear complete responsibility for the training and behavior of our animals, especially regarding their interaction with the humans they encounter.
With these powerful breeds, that responsibility is particularly acute. A single aggressive episode can result in life-ending tragedy. Our office shows zero tolerance to owners who fail to safeguard their animals and the people around them from vicious aggression." - Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith, May 4, 2017

Prosecutor's full press release: Pit Bull Mauls Owner's Mother and Mother's Boyfriend

Why This Case is Unusual

Only a few states have a meaningful state felony dog attack law, Michigan is one of them. Under Michigan law, if a dog owner has knowledge of his dog's vicious propensities and it attacks again, seriously injuring or killing a person, the owner is subject to a felony. Laughton was charged with two felony counts because two victims were seriously injured. Prosecutors authorized these charges knowing that both victims, one being Laughton's mother, will not agree with the charges.

Due to the "intrafamily" nature of this series of pit bull maulings -- the mother agreed to give the dog another chance after the first attack, Laughton alleges -- we did not believe prosecutors would authorize these felony charges. It is a bold and courageous move by prosecutor Eric Smith (Kudos!). Unfortunately Laughton, who was given a citation previously for having an unlicensed dog and harboring a vicious animal, remains in total denial about dog ownership responsibility.

Headline Pit Bull Mauling

On Monday and Tuesday, we watched as headlines about the Roseville attack dominated the Detroit region. According to news reports, officers met Suzette bloodied outside of her home. She told police her son's pit bull had attacked her boyfriend, who was still inside the house. Police were forced to taser the pit bull to incapacitate it in order to reach the boyfriend who was, "unconscious on the living room floor, suffering from horrific bites to his arms and face," according to police.

The dog suspected in the attack was present and was "extremely aggressive not allowing emergency personnel into the home to extricate the victim," police said in a release. - Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, May 2, 2017

By early Tuesday, reports of Michael's injuries were so severe that we added him to our Dog Bite Fatality Watch List. While he was only on the list for a few hours, that action kicked off a deeper review of the situation by us. The first stop was the homeowner's property records to identify the victims and the second was the dog owner's Facebook page. When we landed on Laughton's page, he was publicly and gravely minimizing the victims' injuries and denying any responsibility.

Laughton had posted about "our recent fiasco" and claimed the media got the story wrong. When asked by a friend, "What happened?" He wrote, "My dog bit my mom." No mention of Michael's injuries, the airlift or this being the second time his pit bull had viciously attacked his mother. Laughton called the media "animals" and told friends to watch for an upcoming article by The Detroit News, which would undoubtedly carry his "blameless" version of the story, and it did.

In a headline titled, "Dog owner defends self in mauling: It’s not my fault," Laughton tries to explain why he should not be blamed after his vicious dog attacked a second time seriously injuring two people. "I didn’t do anything wrong," Laughton told The Detroit News. "It’s not my fault. My dog was loved. He had toys. I did not abuse my dog. I didn’t make my dog vicious. My dog did what he did. He’s paid for it," he said. As if the dog being euthanized alleviates Laughton from all liability?

Laughton said that city officials recommended he put the dog down after the April 19 attack. But, he and his mother did not want to pay the $200 euthanasia fee and decided to give the pit bull another chance, he said. Now, after thousands of dollars in medical procedures, requiring "teams of surgeons," along with felony charges, the $200 fee looks like a bargain. Laughton also blamed the second attack on a "neurological trigger," a term coined by whitewasher James Crosby.

The Detroit News video interview is a dead ringer for a pit bull owner's total and complete denial after his dog viciously attacked a second time. According to his sister, Tiffany Laughton, the same pit bull attacked her fiancé's dog in January. So technically, the April 30 attack is the third attack by the dog -- three attacks in a 4-month period. Yet, according to Laughton's obtuse logic, he's not responsible for any of them. The trusted pit bull mantra, "Blame the Owner" suddenly evaporates.

"I didn't make my dog vicious. It's not like I trained my dog to fight. I didn't do any of that. He was a family pet." - Pit bull owner Robert Laughton

"My dog bit my mom and her boyfriend. He's paid for it now," Laughton states. Quite literally, he has no comprehension of civil or criminal liability after a "series" of vicious attacks. The victims in this case are family members, but they just as easily could have been a child or friend visiting the home. The two felony charges signal that in Macomb County all victims are equal. Just because "only your family members" were mauled twice by the dog, does not mean you are off the hook.

The Family Pit Bulls

The male pit bull, named Bruce, is reportedly 1.5 years old. As we have stated many times on this website, pit bulls typically begin to show destructive behavior traits, such as the "hold and shake" bite style and animal aggression, when sexual maturity is reached at about 1.5 years old. This fact is well known among many animal control officers and humane groups, but is rarely shared with the public. This is not true of all pit bulls, but it is a rule of thumb for when these traits appear.

Laughton had purchased the pit bull from a Craigslist advertisement a year earlier, according to a news release issued by prosecutors. Furthermore, the dog was scheduled for euthanasia on May 1, states the release. Apparently, during the home-quarantine period between April 19 and April 29, Laughton and his mother changed their minds about euthanasia, Laughton alleges, but failed to tell animal control officials. Then one day later, the dog unleashed its second violent attack.

The Laughtons also have another pit bull in their home -- ClickonDetroit captured it in recent footage. That dog was not involved in the recent attack, but was taken into custody by county animal control after the April 30 attack. So, when the couple returns home after being hospitalized, there will presumably still be a pit bull in the family's home. Property records show that one of these pit bulls was registered under a different breed name, a "Lab/Mix," on April 26, 2017.

Son, Mother Appear in Court

On the same day prosecutors authorized felony charges against Robert Laughton, he and his mother appeared in Roseville District Court, reports the Detroit Free Press. Robert was arraigned on the charges and given a $5,000 surety bond. He is allowed to keep living with his mother, but cannot purchase another animal until the court says so. Suzette told the court that she wants her son to "stay with me" and that her boyfriend "doesn't want anything to happen to Robert."

Meanwhile over on Robert's Facebook page, he states, "Well let the fun begin I suppose." Sadly, many commenters on his post have no comprehension of civil or criminal liability after a "series" of vicious attacks either. One writes, "He feels terrible" and "He has been through enough." As if that would be sufficient after a drunk driver seriously injured two people? Again, that $200 euthanasia fee sure was a bargain. Now add defense attorney fees to the family's mounting medical bills.

Posted on April 28, 2017 by Colleen Lynn

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bull-Mix Kills Female Owner in Upper Macungie Township

Lisa Green, 32-years old, was killed by her pit bull-mix in Upper Macungie Township.

Neighbor Recounts Attack
UPDATE 04/28/17: On Thursday, police responded to a call of a woman being attacked by a dog at a home in the 900 block of Spring White Drive in Upper Macungie Township. Before police arrived, several neighbors had intervened to help 32-year old Lisa Green, including an off-duty police officer that ended the attack by shooting the dog in its leg. Neighbor Loretta Ottinger recounts the horrific attack in an interview with WFMZ. She said, the dog "just wouldn't stop."

The video shows Ottinger and the multi-level wooden deck in the back of Green's home. Ottinger describes the hambone effort in more detail. "I had a ham in my refrigerator, I thought, bribe him with the ham so that I can get her," Ottinger explained. "So I'm dialing 911, I throw him the hambone. He doesn't take the hambone. The bone just hits him -- he's so engrossed in attacking her," she said. Ottinger yelled to Green to role over, to protect her head and neck from the dog.

By that point, however, Green was unresponsive. "Her head just leaned to the side. She didn't respond," Ottinger said. Next she tried to force the dog off Green. A neighbor brought Ottinger a 1-by-2 piece of wood. White standing on the middle level of the deck, she tried to jab the dog in the face. "I tried to pierce his eyes … I hit his eye once, but then he grabbed the 1-by-2 in his mouth and it broke," she said. Then my neighbor came with a gun and shot the dog, she said.

Today, The Morning Call provided more details from the off-duty police officer that shot the dog, Slatington police chief David Rachman. Neighbors stopped him while he was in his truck, he said, yelling that a dog had killed a woman. He went behind the home and saw Green lying motionless on the second-floor deck with her head, neck and face covered in blood. He then retrieved his .380-caliber handgun from his truck. The chief said the dog kept attacking her neck, so he shot it.

"He grabbed her by the neck again and shook her like a rag doll. She was flopping around." - Slatington police chief David Rachman

Previously, Ottinger said that Green was close with her dog, named Leon, and had owned it for two-and-a-half years. "She was really close with her dog," she said. Rachman, however, said he rarely saw the dog, which is unusual he noted. Two years earlier, Green's dog attacked another neighbor's husky, Rachman said. As to why the dog turned on its owner, Rachman has no idea. "The way he attacked her, that's the way animals kill," he said. "His intention was to kill her."

Multiple Previous Attacks

On Friday, WFMZ also spoke with Rachman. Just before firing on the dog, he said the dog actually "started to lick the blood off her face" and head. "Then he nuzzled his nose, flipped her head up, grabbed her by the throat and then thrashed around," Rachman said. That's when Rachman, standing below the victim, shot the dog in the leg. In addition to attacking the husky two years ago, WFMZ learned that a man's grandson was bitten in the face by the same dog several years ago.

04/27/17: Dog Attacks, Kills Female Owner
Upper Macungie Township, PA - A woman was fatally mauled by her dog Thursday afternoon in Upper Macungie, according to police chief Edgardo Colon. Police were dispatched at 1:30 pm after a report of a woman being attacked by a dog in her home on Spring White Drive. Responding officers found the dog attacking the woman on the rear deck of her home, Colon said. Police officers secured the dog then assisted the woman, who suffered extensive injuries in the attack.

Police contacted state dog warden Orlando Aguirre. The warden arrived with members of the Lehigh County Humane Society to tranquilize the dog, reports The Morning Call. Aguirre told police the dog is a 3-year old male pit bull-boxer mix. The dog will be transported to the humane society, where it will be euthanized and "tested to determine what caused the attack." reports The Call. It is unknown what form of "test" will be conducted on the animal, behavior or otherwise.

The Call later interviewed neighbor, Vidya Chellapilla, who witnessed part of the deadly attack. Neighbors first tried to stop the attack by using a piece of wood, which the dog broke with its jaws. Then they called on neighbor David Rachman, who is the Slatington police chief. Rachman rushed over with his gun. He shot the animal several times, striking it in the leg. The victim is described as only being in her 30s. Police have not released her name pending notification of family members.

Neighbor Vidya Chellapilla
A neighbor, she started shouting, 'Help, help!' Immediately another neighbor also started shouting. So then I came -- I am doing my office work -- so, I came here and, we all started seeing from there ...
At that time she had already fallen. We don't know exactly how. Did the dog bite her? We don't know exactly, but she has fallen.
Then we see the dog started biting on her neck, started removing pieces from her neck. We didn't go there, because the dog looks really wild at that time. We all are seeing from here.
They immediately ran, they called the cop opposite to the house. We have a cop, so I called him. He came immediately. He started shooting. He hit it twice. He shot the dog. Maybe the bullet went to the dog's leg. Immediately the dog is shouting and it sits next to the staircase.
So after that we called 911 immediately. - Video interview, The Morning Call

Evening Updates

The dog mauling victim has been identified at 32-year old Lisa Green. The person who tried to stop the attack by jabbing the dog with a 2-by-1 has been identified as Loretta Ottinger, Green's next-door neighbor. Another neighbor, off-duty Slatington police chief David Rachman, fired his gun twice, striking the dog at least once ending the attack. Ottinger said Green had owned the dog, named Leon, for about two-and-a-half years. Officials tranquilized the dog at the scene.

In a later update, The Call published more details by Ottinger. She hit the dog with a hambone before trying to jab the dog, hoping to drive the dog's attention away from Green. "I thought if Lisa could get free and roll over, the dog would be off her jugular. But he ignored the ham. He was just picking her up and throwing her down," Ottinger said. Then she got a piece of wood and shoved it through the deck slats at the dog. The dog made quick work of that by snapping the board in two.

Ottinger also stated that Green's dog was a pit bull, as opposed to a "mix" variety. "It was a pit bull. They're pretty strong dogs," she said. Even after witnessing the horrible attack and seeing Green lying motionless in the bloody aftermath, Ottinger hoped she might survive. But that was not the case after Green's pit bull of two-and-a-half years suddenly attacked and executed the killing bite. "I love dogs," Ottinger told The Call, "but wow, I just don't know why anyone would get a pit bull."

View the DogsBite.org Google State Map: Pennsylvania Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Posted on April 27, 2017 by Colleen Lynn

Misdemeanor Charge Filed Against Owner of Pit Bull

Maurice Brown, 60-years old, was mauled to death by a pit bull in Dayton, Ohio.

Low-Level Charge
UPDATE 08/31/18: Over 16-months after a man was mauled to death by a pit bull, authorities have charged a 28-year old man with a misdemeanor. This week, the Dayton prosecutor’s office filed a first-degree misdemeanor charge against Anthony Austin, whose address in court records is 345 Middle Street. On April 25, 2017, Maurice Brown died of injuries an blood loss after a pit bull residing at 345 Middle Street broke free of its chain and viciously attacked the man, killing him.

"Kind of feels like a slap in the face" that it's only a misdemeanor count. "A misdemeanor for a death -- that's disturbing." - Victim's brother, David Brown.

Dayton city prosecutor Stephanie Cook agreed the charge was inadequate. "It seems woefully inadequate when you’re dealing with a fatality to be charging somebody with a misdemeanor … that’s where we’re at right now," Cook said. After Klonda Richie was brutally killed by her neighbor’s two pit bull-type dogs in 2014, local lawmakers introduced the Klonda Richie Act to increase penalties statewide after a dog seriously injuries or kills a person. The Act failed to pass.

In addition to the "late" misdemeanor charge after Brown’s mauling death, the Dayton Daily News uncovered a serious protocol failure in the police response to his death. An internal investigation of this failure was also mishandled, making it impossible for the department to discipline the officers. A commander's review of Brown's death said the officers "failed to render immediate assistance and/or first aid." That paperwork was submitted late, muting the entire internal investigation.

The Dayton Daily News continues to pursue the dash cam video recordings of the police response in Brown's mauling death. As of August 31, 2018, Dayton police have not released the recordings, claiming there is still an active investigation into the incident. Yet, Dayton police "routinely" release cruiser cam footage to news outlets during active investigations, in some cases, less than 24 hours after an incident. So one can only presume these dash cam video recordings are damning.

04/26/17: No Progress on Investigation
Dayton police continue to investigate who owned or cared for the pit bull that fatally attacked a 60-year old man Tuesday morning, along with three other pit bulls seized from the backyard of the home at 345 Middle Street. During a press conference yesterday, Lt. Andrew Booher indicated that police were seeking out tenants of the home to interview. It remains unknown if the tenant(s) or other people associated to the 345 Middle Street home are relatives of the property owners.

Previous Complaints

Police reports show that a dog attack has occurred at the property before. In 2011, a 9-year old girl was bitten by a pit bull-mix and received 50 stitches. She also endured rabies shots. The attack occurred at 345 Middle Street, but the dog's owner lived on West Riverview Avenue. Between 2008 and 2012, a dog owner living at 345 Middle Street was cited multiple times for not licensing his two male pit bulls, according to the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center (ARC).

While police scramble to interview neighbors and track down tenants after the deadly pit bull mauling, we must share with our readers a horrific irony. The estate of Klonda Richey, who was brutally killed by her neighbor's two dogs in 2014, is currently suing the director of ARC, Mark Kumpf. Richey had complained to ARC about her neighbor's dogs 13 times before they killed her. ARC personnel can be seen in this video, investigating the city's most recent fatal dog attack.

Speculation of Charges

Despite the speculation of possible criminal charges after Brown's death, one need only to recall that after Klonda's death -- who was killed on her own property -- authorities could only charge the dogs' owners, Andrew Nason and Julie Custer, with misdemeanors.1 This egregious flaw in Ohio state law is why Sen. Bill Beagle continues to introduce the Klonda Richey Act. "If stiffer penalties will scare owners into being more responsible then I think that's great," Beagle told Fox 45 News.

Greta Parks, who lives on Klonda's street and saw the aftermath of the horrific attack, also spoke to Fox 45. "Poor lady's body laid out there on the street for hours," she said. During these very hours, while investigating the fatal mauling, Director Kumpf tells the media, "We've never located them or seen [the dogs]." Simultaneously, Kumpf was busy "correcting" the media, saying the dogs involved were "mastiff-mixes" to deflect early police reports of the dogs being pit bulls.2

Victim's Family Speaks Out

WDTN spoke with the victim's two siblings. Maurice Brown was a graduate of Jefferson Township High School who played in the band. Brown is also a United States Air Force Veteran, where he served as a mechanic. David Brown, the victim's brother, said it does not surprise him that Brown was up so early that morning. "That’s how we remember him -- artistic. Most of the world is rigid and on a schedule. He was a non-schedule type. He enjoyed the world at its quietest," David said.

Both David and his sister, Angela Brown, hope that some form of justice is served. "This could have been a child walking to school, mauled to death. It could have been anyone, it just happens to be my brother. These dogs are bred, bred for that trait of being vicious and you should be held accountable if you cannot control them,” David said. We too hope for justice. However, currently police and ARC do not even know who the dog's owner is and the state law is weak in this area.

Read extensive coverage from the Dayton Daily News, "The body count is getting too high."

04/25/17: Mauling Victim Identified
The man mauled to death by a pit bull Tuesday in Dayton has been identified. Dayton police say Maurice Brown, 60-years old, was killed by a pit bull early Tuesday morning. Police said the man did not live in the area. Four pit bulls were kept on the property at 345 Middle Street. Police shot and killed the pit bull that was actively attacking Brown. The other three were taken into custody. So far, it is unknown who owns the dogs. The property's owner resides at a nursing home.

"Yet, here we are again, continuing to talk about another fatality from another out-of-control dog and an irresponsible owner." - Sen. Bill Beagle

WHIO-TV reached out to state Sen. Bill Beagle who introduced the Klonda Richey Act in 2014 and 2015 after she was killed by her neighbor's two dogs. The bill increases penalties after serious and fatal dog attacks. Last year, the bill passed the Senate in the final days of the session. Beagle vowed to reintroduce the legislation, but not before revisions are made. "We had some folks that wanted to see some changes," Beagle said. We hope these "folks" are not out-of-state lobbyists.

04/25/17: Pit Bull Kills Man in Dayton
Dayton, OH - Early Tuesday, Dayton police responded to a home in the 300 block of Middle Street after neighbors heard a man yelling for help and dogs barking in the background. When officers arrived, they found a man seriously injured after being mauled by a dog. Police described the victim as an “innocent” middle-age male who was walking in the area. Police said the dog is a male pit bull. They shot and killed the dog and removed three other pit bulls from the home.

"Near Riverview Avenue there's a man outside yelling 'Jesus help me. Help me,'" the caller said. "Sounds like he's in pain." - 911 caller, WHIO-TV

The deadly attack happened at about 5:15 am. Police said the pit bull was able to break its chain and attack a man who was walking in a nearby alley. The victim was transported to Miami Valley Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Initially, police had to search for the dog, described as a tan pit bull. After they hunted it down, they shot and killed it. Currently, police are awaiting a search warrant to enter a house at 345 Middle Street. Police have not released the name of the victim.

Fatal Attacks in Montgomery County

This man's death marks the third fatal dog attack in Dayton since 2014 and the fourth in Montgomery County since 2012. In February 2014, Klonda Richey, 57-years old, was brutally attacked and killed by her neighbors two dogs. Richey had reported the dogs to authorities over two dozen times before the attack. Five months later, Johnathan Quarles, Jr., 7-months old, was killed by his babysitter's pit bull. The babysitter, Kimiko Hardy, was later convicted of six felonies.

"It's a very unfortunate precedent for this city. And hopefully we can get a handle on that rather quickly." - Lt. Mark Ponichtera, referring to the Dayton fatalities

Two weeks after the death of Quarles, Jr., a 59-year old woman was fatally attacked by her daughter's pit bull in Butler County, which is adjacent to Montgomery County. At the time of the attack, Cindy Whisman was babysitting her 2-year old grandson when her daughter's pit bull latched onto her neck, killing her. Neighbor Wayne Walker, who rushed over help said, "It looked like [the dog] took a chunk of her throat out around the jugular." The child was not injured.

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Ohio Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.

1In April 2017, Andrew Nason, 32, was sentenced to 5 years in jail for abusing a 2-year old child. He was found guilty of causing severe head injuries to his girlfriend's daughter in 2012. The same child depicted in the "Fear Thy Neighbor" episode about Klonda Richey. Watch the episode on Google Play here.
2Instead of being fired after Klonda's death and a subesquent fatal dog attack, Kumpf was given a pay raise.
"Mark Kumpf, director of the Animal Resource Center, was given a wage increase of 2.5 percent, from $80,562 a year to $82,576. This decision has angered family members, friends and neighbors of Klonda Richey, who was mauled by two mixed-mastiff dogs in February, 2014, outside her Dayton home...
"A difficult year? That’s an understatement, I’d say," said Richey’s cousin, Carol Myers. "In my opinion, the man should be fired, not be given a raise." -
Steven Matthews, "Montgomery County dog warden praised after 'difficult year'," Dayton Daily News, May 13, 2015 (www.mydaytondailynews.com)

Baseline reporting requirements:
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.

DogsBite blog ::

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Family Pit Bull Kills Baby in Northwest Las Vegas

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Pit Bull Had Also Attacked His Mother Two Weeks Earlier

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2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bull Breaks Chain, Attacks and Kills Man in Dayton, Ohio

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