Posted on August 23, 2016 by Colleen Lynn

2016 Dog Bite Fatality: Elderly Man Killed by Dogs in Jacksonville, Florida

Gaping hole seen in property fence line at home in 1100 block of Jessie Street.

Dangerous Designation
UPDATE 08/23/16: The coroner has still not announced the official cause of death of 83-year old Michael Downing. Sheriff's investigators believe Downing was attacked by up to four large dogs belonging to Lephus Felton. The dogs escaped through a sizable hole in the owner's fence, brutally attacked Downing then dragged him back under the fence through the same hole. The victim was found dismembered inside the dog owner's backyard, just inside the fence line.

"By far it's probably the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life. There was only 30 percent left of his body probably." - Witness Mackenzie Partin

Animal control authorities are moving forward with declaring all four dogs dangerous -- a rottweiler and three large mixed breeds. The legal designation will eventually result in the euthanasia of the animals. Dog-related evidence was gathered at the scene and sent to an animal forensic lab at the University of Florida. Felton is no stranger to law enforcement. Over the last 5-years, police have been called to Felton's home 14 times, though only one call involved an animal complaint.

Multiple neighbors said the dogs had escaped from the same damaged fenced area before and were aggressive toward people who walked by. Neighbors also told ActionNewsJax they had complained to the city about the dogs, as well as the dog's owner. "I knew it was coming. It was just a matter of time," neighbor Mark Jones said. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is working with the State Attorney's Office to determine if criminal charges will be brought against Felton.1

08/20/16: Dragged Under Fence
The elderly victim was reportedly taking out the trash when the deadly attack occurred. The trash dumpster is located in the back of the parking lot of the Franklin Arms Apartments, close to the fence of the dog owner's yard. In an extremely predatory attack, investigators believe the dogs escaped under the fence through a gaping hole, viciously attacked the man then dragged him back under the fence through the hole, continuing the attack in the dog owner's backyard.

The victim was found on the ground inside the dog owner's backyard, inside the fence line. - Sgt. Chuck Ford, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office

The last time a horrific, predatory attack of this nature occurred was last December in Detroit. Xavier Strickland, 4-years old, was walking with his mother when three pit bulls escaped under the fence of the dog owner's home and "snatched" the boy from his mother's arms. The dogs dragged Xavier by the hood of his coat across the residential street, pulled him back under the fence of the dog owner's yard, where a fourth pit bull joined in the brutal attack, mauling him to death.

On Monday, the sheriff's office identified the elderly victim as 83-year old Michael Downing.

08/19/16: Dog Attack Suspected
Jacksonville, FL - An elderly man was found dead in an apparent animal attack Friday afternoon. Police discovered the man on the property of the Franklin Arms Apartments near a fence line that contained holes. Sheriff's investigators believe one or more dogs from an adjacent home came through the holes and attacked him, Sgt. Chuck Ford of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said. Four large dogs were taken into custody by animal control; at least two appear to be rottweiler-types.

The attack occurred in the 1100 block of Jessie Street. Deputies responded to a call about 4:30 pm. The elderly man was initially found dead by the person who owns the home that backs up to the Franklin Arms Apartments (and presumably owns the four dogs). Another news report states the victim was walking along Jessie Street when the dogs attacked, dragging him along the fence line. The victim's name has not yet been released. The sheriff's office continues to investigate.

Owner Talks to Media

The Florida Times-Union adds more details, including that the owner of the four dogs, Lephus Felton, concocted a bizarre story, blaming the elderly victim for the deadly attack. Felton said the elderly man must have "reached through" the fence before the attack at some point. “All his stuff was close to the gate. He was teasing my dog,” Felton said of the victim. Felton said he was gone for 30 minutes and when he returned, a woman told him his dogs killed someone in his backyard.

Felton said one of the dogs is a rottweiler, and the others are a mix of rottweiler, German shepherd and chow chow. Two of the dogs, both 3-years old, are younger offspring of the parent dogs.

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: U.S. Fatal Rottweiler Attacks By State

1The Jacksonville ACO director mentioned in the article, Jim Crosby, is a longtime pit bull owner and advocate (note our 2008 post - The Anatomy of a Whitewash). In 2010, Crosby resigned as the director of Bay County Animal Control in Florida after one of his employees took home a pig in the facility's care named "Fluffy" then butchered and ate it. There was no mention of this in the PR puffery piece by Jacksonville.com after his hiring in March.

Posted on August 20, 2016 by Colleen Lynn

2016 Dog Bite Fatality: Family Pit Bull Kills 'Visiting' Child in Las Vegas

Derion Stevenson, 9-years old, was killed by a pit bull while visiting a friend's home.

July Attack Confirmed
UPDATE 08/19/16: County authorities confirmed the pit bull that killed a 9-year old boy was also involved in dog fight in the same neighborhood in July. Clark County Animal Control did not declare the pit bull dangerous or vicious after the attack. Derion Stevenson died after the same pit bull brutally attacked his face and neck a month later. The lack of public safety concern given to "animal aggression" by many animal control authorities is abysmal in many jurisdictions.

It is a false myth that "animal-aggressive" and "people-aggressive" are distinctly separate factors. Aggression, is aggression, is aggression.1

A neighbor was walking her Labrador on July 11, when the pit bull, "Left Eye," attacked her dog, county spokesman Dan Kulin said. The pit bull's owner claimed the Labrador initiated the fight. The Labrador escaped serious injuries. In a statement released Friday, the county said, "the July incident was not serious enough to warrant a dangerous or vicious declaration." The victim dog would have to sustain "substantial bodily harm or die as a result" of the attack, the statement said.

In a painfully common scenario shared by owners of dangerous dogs -- shuffling these dogs around to new owners -- the Las Vegas Review-Journal also reports that Left Eye's owner cited in the July attack (a man) is not the same person who had custody over the dog when it killed Derion Stevenson (a woman). Fox 5 already uncovered the latter owner tried to give her problematic pit bull away in February 2015. Back then she advertised the pit bull as "goofy" and "loveable."

Clark County also admitted that as of August 17 this year, only 2.5% (5) of the dogs involved in dog-on-dog attacks (196) were given a dangerous designation; none were given a vicious designation. That leaves 191 dog owners so far this year who may have lost faith in a system they formerly believed was created to protect innocent people and pets from dangerous dogs. They had to learn the hard way that these dogs and their owners have more rights then they do.

08/18/16: Children Witnessed Attack
The Clark County coroner's office said 9-year old Derion Stevenson died from blunt force injuries to the neck and head from the dog attack. The manner of death was ruled an accident. Derion was killed by a pit bull-mix while visiting a friend's home Wednesday. The dog, named Left Eye, has since been euthanized. Jesse Roybal, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Department, said that Derion was with his friends when the pit bull fatally attacked him in the face and neck.

"Not only is this tragic for this young man’s family, but for his friends that had to witness it." - Jesse Roybal, Metropolitan Police Department

Fox 5 Las Vegas reports the dog had a history of aggression. Neighbors told Fox that about 3-weeks ago, the same pit bull, named Left Eye, attacked a different child and also a dog. Neighbor Maritza Cardona said she heard people screaming outside, as people tried to separate the pit bull from a little dog. It is unknown if the attack 3-weeks ago was reported to authorities. As of today, news groups also specified the location of the attack: 6490 Duck Hill Springs Drive.

Emerging details about Derion's death include that he and some friends went to the pit bull owner's home "to get some candy," according to relatives. When the front door opened, the dog immediatley attacked his face. "I'm seeing my nephew's face full of blood," said Alikish Moore, the victim's uncle. Moore discovered Derion in a pool of blood unresponsive. First responders rushed the boy to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, where he died.

Fox 5 Las Vegas Video Updated

The Fox 5 video was updated at 1:23 am CDT to include more information. The victim in the attack 3-weeks ago, who was not identified, said they filed a police report after Left Eye attacked their child and dog. Cardona (mentioned earlier) only witnessed the incident. Fox 5 located the pit bull's female owner on Facebook and found a post last year showing she had tried to get rid of Left Eye in February 2015. Police only confirmed they were called out about the dog this past January.

"I need 2 find this goofy loveable dog "left eye" a good loving home. Let me know if u interested." - Facebook post by dog's owner, Feb 19, 2015

08/18/16: Child Identified in Dog Mauling
The 9-year old boy mauled to death by a pit bull in Las Vega has been identified as Derion Stevenson. The dog was euthanized earlier today, The Associated Press reports. Very little other information has been released thus far. On Wednesday, Derion was visiting the dog owner's home on Duck Hill Springs Drive when the pit bull exited the house and attacked him. Derion was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, where he later died.

The 3-year-old pit bull mixed-breed named Left Eye was euthanized after it was surrendered by its owners to animal control officers. - Associated Press

Derion Stevenson is the 205th child mauled to death by a pit bull since 1980, when the pit bull problem began to emerge. Derion is also the 154th child killed by a pit bull since the CDC stopped tracking breed data 18-years ago. It is not unexpected that pit bull mauling deaths have persisted since 1998. What is shocking is the sharp escalation of these deaths. The rate of pit bulls killing people has increased over 500% since the CDC's study when comparing a recent 5-year period.

08/17/16: Visiting Child Killed by Pit Bull
Las Vegas, NV - A child was fatally attacked by a pit bull while visiting the dog owner's home in East Valley on Wednesday afternoon. Police responded to a home in the 6000 block of Duck Hill Springs Drive, near Desert Inn Road about 3:35 pm, Metro Lt. Timothy Hatchett said. The child was visiting a friend's home when the dog exited the house and attacked the child, Hatchett said. The child was transported to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center where he died of his injuries.

Since 2005, there have been seven fatal dog attacks in Nevada. Four of these attacks occurred in Clark County. Pit bulls were responsible for 71% (5) of the total deaths and include Cenedi Carey, 4-months old, North Las Vegas (2008), Alexander Adams, 2-years old, Las Vegas (2008), Kevin Latz, 50-years old, Reno (2012) and Kenneth Ford, 79-years old, Pahrump (2015). In 2013, Nevada legislators passed a preemption bill barring local governments from regulating pit bulls.

"Visiting" Child Scenario

In the 11-year period of 2005 to 2015 canines killed 360 people in this country. Nearly 30% (99) of these victims were either visiting or living temporarily with the dog's owner when the fatal attack occurred. Children make up the majority of these deaths, accounting for 71% (70). So far in 2016, 55% of all fatal dog attack victims fall within the "visiting the owner" attack scenario. For years, DogsBite.org has emphasized this dangerous trend in our annual U.S. dog bite fatality statistics.

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

1Selective breeding for aggression (fighting dogs) runs the whole gamut of aggression. There are countless pit bulls that have seriously injured, maimed or killed a person that first expressed animal aggression. Despite the county claiming otherwise, the July 11 incident must have been a scary close call, otherwise the labrador's owner would not have reported it. Dog owners report attacks like this not because they avoided what "could have been" a horrible attack, but because they are trying to PREVENT a future attack by a dog that scared the daylights out of them.

Posted on August 12, 2016 by Colleen Lynn

2016 Dog Bite Fatality: Homeless Man Killed by Pit Bull-Mixes Owned by Honolulu Business

A cross marks where Crisencio Aliado, 52, was killed by two pit bull-mixes.

Dogs Returned to Owners
UPDATE 08/12/16: It was announced this week that Honolulu authorities released the two pit bull-mixes that killed a homeless man back to their owners. On July 29, the two pit bulls escaped the fencing from the dog owners' business, ContainerLand, and fatally attacked 52-year old Crisencio Aliado who was washing his clothes in a nearby stream. Police are apparently waiting on a formal report from the medical examiner's office before taking any further action.

"Normal" dog owners would have relinquished the dogs to authorities to be euthanized after a fatal attack. An antisocial dog owner would not.

There appears to be no state or local statute that allows police to impound and euthanize a dog that kills a person when a case lacks evidence supporting criminal charges. So in Honolulu, when a dog escapes its owner's property and kills a person on public property, no criminal charges apply unless the dog was previously declared dangerous. That is not uncommon in other states, but lacking the authority to impound and euthanize a dog that kills a person is uncommon.

All that local law requires in this case is for the ContainerLand owners to keep their two pit bull-mixes "secure" at their home. The public's safety is entrusted to the very same delinquent dog owners who failed to keep their animals secure at their business and the result was the violent mauling death of an innocent man. City Councilman Joey Manahan and Honolulu attorney Richard Turbin, who has represented dog attack victims in the past, both expressed alarm to KITV.

"That is a frightening prospect, when you have dogs who have killed a human being, running loose in a neighborhood." - Attorney Richard Turbin.

Turbin talked about a state statute that allows for any person to file an application with the courts of Hawaii for a "dangerous dog" designation if the person believes it is dangerous. We could find no reference to this in online searches, but Texas has a similar statute and is commonly seen posted on city or county animal control websites. That this right exists for Hawaii citizens, but is hidden from view, is the direct failure of the Hawaiian Humane Society and the city of Honolulu.

Nearby businesses also told KITV the same dogs had gotten loose in the industrial area before. Surveillance footage might exist for the deadly attack as well. One company said that police looked at surveillance video that showed Aliado picking up cans along the stream. Police did not say if they viewed any attack footage. Homeless people in the area told KITV they believed the same dogs were involved in previous attacks, but it is unknown if any were reported to authorities.

Second Victim Comes Forward

On the heels of this KITV update, the news group published a follow up, reporting that a second victim came forward. Francine Kornegay, who lives under the airport viaduct, told KITV she was attacked over a year ago by two dogs near the ContainerLand store in Kalihi. A witness called emergency responders who arrived shortly after the attack. Kornegay said she believes a man let three dogs out from behind a fenced area when two of the dogs, both pit bull-mixes, attacked her.

"I was in a wheelchair for a while after [the attack], I could not walk, anything. I couldn't care for myself." - Francine Kornegay

The owners of ContainerLand admitted that they helped Kornegay, who was transported to Tripler Army Medical Center. They paid for her antibiotics and brought her food, reports KITV. The owners said they had five dogs at that time -- at least three were pit bull-mixes according to their personal Facebook pages. The owners were unsure if the same dogs were involved in both attacks. The owners said two of their dogs died in 2015. One was memorialized on their Facebook pages.

The owners of ContainerLand said they feel terrible about the attacks, reports KITV. But they did nothing to prevent the mauling death of Aliado either. Their dogs had attacked at least once before and nearby business owners said their pit bull-mixes had escaped on previous occasions. Under an agreement with the Hawaiian Humane Society, the ContainerLand owners are "not to walk the dogs in their neighborhood," KITV reports. Quite the penalty after their dogs savagely killed a man.

Editorial note added August 13: While writing this update, we noticed the owners of ContainerLand, Michael Souza and Candace Souza (a married couple), have since deactivated their Facebook pages. Due to this, we have replaced live links throughout this post, which previously linked to their Facebook pages, with screenshots and PDF files that we gathered while researching the fatal pit bull attack of Crisencio Aliado.

Photographs of Suspected Dogs

UPDATE 08/04/16: On Tuesday, the Honolulu medical examiner determined that 52-year old Crisencio Aliado died from multiple dog bite injuries. A follow up news report by Khon 2 revealed the two dogs involved in the attack were pit bull-mixes that belonged to the owner of the nearby business, ContainerLand. Aliado was a homeless man who had been washing clothing in the nearby stream when the dogs attacked, according to the victim's friend Norbert Cardoza.

The Facebook profile for ContainerLand shows it was created by Michael Souza (his name is literally in the URL). Souza's father, Norman "Pops" Souza, who passed away last August, started the business, according to his obituary. ContainerLand is also known as Diamond Head Distributors or Island Distributors, states a reviewer on the business' Yelp page. The father's obituary also states these three business names along with the name, T&R Distributors.

The son is also listed as a business owner for ContainerLand and Diamond Head Distributors, the businesses share the same address.

Michael's personal Facebook page states he is married to Candace. Both of their Facebook pages overwhelm with photographs of their pet pit bulls. Between the two, they appear to have at least three pit bulls. However, the black male, named Bailey, died in January 2015, which leaves the two others as the culprits.1 The couple also breeds pit bulls and Michael apparently prefers the mix of 3/4 pure pit bull terrier with 1/4 pure pointer. It is unknown if the owners will face criminal charges.

08/04/16: Homeless Man Killed
Honolulu, HI - On Tuesday, the Honolulu medical examiner determined 52-year old Crisencio Aliado died from multiple dog bite injuries. Aliado, a homeless man, was attacked in Kalihi, a neighborhood of Honolulu. Khon 2 reports the attack occurred behind ContainerLand, a party supply warehouse. The two pit bull-mixes belong to the business owners. Witness Reno S. said, "There was a dead body. A guy was mauled. It looked like his leg and his head was all bloody."

Crisencio Aliado was found dead at about 7 pm Friday, July 29, on a stream bank near Marukai, along Kamehameha Highway.

One of Aliado's friends, Norbert Cardoza, said Aliado was washing his clothes in the stream at the time of the attack. “He was the most mild-mannered person you could meet. Didn’t bother nobody. Just that he was homeless,” Cardoza said. The owners of ContainerLand confirmed their two pit bull-mixes were confiscated after the deadly mauling and are currently being held at the Hawaiian Humane Society. The owner's claimed their dogs "somehow" escaped their fenced warehouse.

The last fatal dog mauling in Hawaii occurred in 2008, the death of 2-month old Iokepa Liptak.

1When we published on August 4, we did not know that Bailey died last year. Upon further examination of the owner's Facebook photos, this became clear, so we updated that portion of the paragraph. Notably, on Bailey's memorial photo, one can see the container boxes in the background. In comments on the instagram photo, people ask, "What happened?" but the owner does not respond. Now a year and half later, the couple is set to lose their remaining two pit bulls due to the horrific violence, destruction and death they inflicted upon a homeless man.

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Colleen Lynn

2016 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman Mauled to Death by Her Boyfriend's Pit Bull in Georgia

Michelle Wilcox, 30, was killed by her boyfriend's pit bull in Screven County, Georgia.

No History of Aggression for Any of the Dogs?

UPDATE 08/04/16: Since news broke Tuesday about the fatal dog mauling of Michelle Wilcox, the public has been told that no dogs belonging to her boyfriend had "any known history of viciousness or aggression," according to Screven County Sheriff' Mike Kile's news release. That information is no longer valid; one of the male pit bulls had previously attacked. We also now know the identity of the boyfriend and that he owned four adult pit bulls -- two females and two males.

Devin Bannon is the boyfriend of Wilcox and clearly states so on his public Facebook page. His male pit bull Conan is still being used as his cover photo. On July 18, Bannon posted an image of his pit bulls: Muffin, Kaos, Conan and Molly. We presume Muffin is a female, so that leaves Kaos or Conan as the male fatal attacker. According to Kaos' former owner, Troy Johnson, "Kaos, ended with some legal charges over an attack, sent him to a farm in Statesboro with Devin."

Johnson posted this status update on May 23, 2015 along with photos of Kaos at different ages. The name "Devin" links to the profile of Bannon. In the update, Johnson commiserates about his inability to find a suitable male pit bull for his female pit bull, Maggie. By that point he had gone through four male pit bulls and was starting on a fifth. It is unknown exactly when Johnson sent Kaos to Devin. The first photo of Kaos appears on Bannon's Facebook page on May 26, 2014.

Yesterday, we wrote to Sheriff Kile with this information and also asked for clarification on whether the fatal attacker was Kaos or Conan. We emphasize again that Conan continues to be Bannon's Facebook cover photo after the death of Wilcox. What is also notable about his photographs is that his four pit bulls are of the larger variety and mainly seen "outside." Yet, he was quick to tell authorities his pit bulls were "indoor" dogs. Maybe Bannon meant they were "garage" dogs.

Pit Bull Milestone

Attorney and author J. Thomas Beasley wrote about this attack at his website. Last April, Beasley published Misunderstood Nanny Dogs? A Critical and Objective Analysis of the Facts & Myths Concerning Pit Bulls. We wrote an excellent book review for it, and others have as well. We encourage readers to purchase a copy. In his post about Wilcox, Beasley reminds us of her expertise with animals, yet even this expertise could not prevent or stop the deadly mauling.

"Michelle Wilcox worked as an inspector for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and had studied pre-veterinarian medicine and animal science at the University of Georgia. She was an avid and skilled equestrian rider, and by all accounts, an “animal expert.” But that expertise did nothing to thwart the unprovoked, unexpected and uncontrollable attack by her boyfriend’s pit bull on August 2, 2016. Police investigators stated that the dog was well cared for, had been raised from puppyhood as an “inside dog” and had no history of violence or aggression." - J. Thomas Beasley

Read in full: Pit Bull Milestone - J. Thomas Beasley

08/02/16: News Release Adds Details
An autopsy conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Michelle Wilcox, 30-years old, died due to injuries inflicted by the pit bull, according to a news release issued by Screven County Sheriff Mike Kile late Tuesday. "No one else was in the home at the time of the incident," Sheriff Mike Kile states. "The dog, a male pit bull, was put down by the owner immediately following the discovery of the attack," Kile states in the release.

Wilcox was familiar with the dogs at the home and had handled them safely many times in the past. None of the dogs in the home had any known history of viciousness or aggression, states the release. The Statesboro Herald adds that Wilcox's Facebook page indicates Wilcox was employed as a meat inspector with the Georgia Department of Agriculture and had studied pre-veterinary medicine at Gainesville State College and animal science at the University of Georgia.

08/02/16: Pit Bull Kills Woman in Georgia
Screven County, GA - In a developing story, a woman was brutally mauled to death by her boyfriend's pit bull near Newington, Georgia. Investigators say Michelle Wilcox died after being attacked by her boyfriend's pit bull while he was away at work Monday. About 6 pm last night, county investigators responded to a 911 call of a dead person at the boyfriend's home. Authorities arrived to a "horrific scene," reports WTOC, a woman mauled to death by a family pit bull.

"We will never know the reason why. It was raised from a small puppy in the house to the 95 pound dog it is now," Screven County Sheriff Mike Kile said. "She came home and let it out and seemed to be doing the normal routine. The dog just attacked," Kile said. Like many law enforcement officers, Kile responds to the "lack of reason" for the deadly attack, yet the nature of a pit bull attack is often explosive, unpredictable aggression and the execution of the killing bite.

While writing this post, more news was added, including there were multiple dogs in the home. "Investigators say none of the dogs in the home had any known history of viciousness or aggression," reports WTOC. It is very likely the family was backyard breeding pit bulls. The owner also destroyed the attacking pit bull immediately upon discovering his girlfriend dead. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) assisted local authorities in this investigation, reports WTOC.

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

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Photographs of Suspected Dogs

No History of Aggression for Any of the Dogs?