Posted on July 29, 2014 by Colleen Lynn

2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Visiting Child Killed by His Uncle's Two Pit Bulls in Hillsborough County, Florida

Logan Sheppard, 4-years old, was mauled to death by his uncle's two pit bulls.

No Criminal Charges
UPDATE 07/30/14: Authorities will not pursue charges -- see memo from State Attorney Mark Ober. New information reveals that the adults were sharing "half a joint" in a back room when Logan Sheppard slipped outside and was mauled to death by two pit bulls. The dogs tore off his entire scalp and inflicted bites to his neck, according to police records. The adults left Logan with his 15-year old cousin, who was wearing headphones and watching a movie on a computer.

Arriving deputies smelled the marijuana, but no drugs or paraphernalia was located or confiscated by police. Ober called Logan's death a "tragic event" in his memo to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Ober also explained some of the charges his office had considered, including child neglect and aggravated manslaughter. Ober did not believe any of the charges would hold up in court. Recall that criminal prosecution requires proving a case "beyond a reasonable doubt."

"The evidence does not indicate that anyone responsible for caring for the child neglected the child knowingly, intentionally and purposely. Instead, the evidence indicates that the death of the child was a tragic event brought on by a mistaken belief that the dogs had been secured in a pen in the yard. The fact that the dogs were able to escape the dog pen was unknown at the time of the tragic event." - State Attorney Mark Ober, July 28, 2014 Memo

While some media sources continue to report, "Billy let the dogs out" after Logan and his mother arrived, it is clear that this allegation remains unverified by police. At least now, instead of blaming the boy for unlatching the pen, how the dogs escaped is simply "unknown." After the attack, the owners of the dogs, Delores and Billy Fredericks Sr., surrendered their two adult female pit bulls for destruction. The dogs had no prior history of aggression, according to animal control.

07/21/14: Father Blames Uncle
Not unexpectedly, family members are casting blame after the violent pit bull mauling death of 4-year old Logan Sheppard on Saturday evening. The boy's father, Michael Sheppard, and the child's grandmother, Norma Jean Bridges, blame Billy Fredericks Sr., for the child's death. Michael was not at home when his son was attacked. Michael and Norma believe that Fredericks was careless and negligent. Both also support a theory first presented by commenter Ted Teger.

The neighbor also said she doubts Delores and Billy Fredericks started locking up the dogs on Saturday when Logan was mauled to death.
---snip---

Investigators say the attack happened when Logan and his mother walked to the Fredericks' home nearby. Detectives say Billy told them he crated the animals so the mother and child could come inside. But family members say Billy didn't leave the animals inside the kennel during their visit but, instead, wanted them be out so they could roam "to protect his property." -10 News, wtsp.com

Notably, none of the people interviewed showed their faces because they are likely afraid of Billy Fredericks. Despite the father and grandmother's accusations, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is not convinced. At least for now, no criminal charges will be filed. The Fredericks' also have a home in Las Vegas. According to 10 News, the two may be packing up and heading out of town. Michael Sheppard said the family is setting up a fund to help pay for funeral expenses.

In a 10:43 pm update from the Tampa Bay Times, the blame game grows even more ethereal. The boy's father, Michael Sheppard, told the newspaper that Logan loved to play with his three family dogs -- also pit bulls -- Sheppard said. "He grew up with those dogs and never had problems with them," his father said. With pit bull owners now blaming other pit bulls owners, it is understandable why the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is not convinced of the father's recent accusations.

07/20/14: Blame Casting Begins
Billy Fredericks Sr., the uncle and owner of the two pit bulls that killed his 4-year old nephew while visiting his home on Saturday evening gave consent to have his dogs put down; both have been euthanized. Now blame is being cast upon the boy's mother for being in the next room talking to adults while her child sat in the living room eating a bowl of ice cream. Speculation is also being cast upon the young child for unlatching the two kennels while holding a bowl of ice cream.

Many things are possible at this early stage, including what commenter Ted Teger speculated:

Missing from this story must be that the owner not only carted the dogs before they arrives but UNCRATED them after they were all indoors1....and then they left a 4 year old unattended in the living room knowing there were dangerous dogs on the other side of the door. No parent is perfect and oversights happen all the time, and most parents are fortunate enough that their little mistakes do not end in tragedy.

I hear pit bull owners tell how friendly and loving their dogs are.... but I never trust them, nor do I trust any dog completely as much as I love dogs and have 3 myself....but I would never want a dog that can kill so easily with those powerful jaws. -Ted Teger, The Tampa Bay Times

It is important to recall the recent thoughts of Quadirah Banks, whose child was nearly mauled to death by two pit bulls after the babysitter let the dogs into the house because it was raining. "Does it matter if it is the fault of the owner of the dog? Does it matter if it is the fault of the dog, when pit bulls themselves are disproportionately responsible for serious and fatal attacks?" What we know does matter is that if pit bull owners fail to maintain the "zero margin of error" rule tragedies occur.

View Related video

07/20/14: Visiting Child Killed by Pit Bulls
Riverview, FL - In a developing story, a 4-year old boy was killed by two pit bulls while visiting his aunt and uncle's home in Riverview. On Saturday, Logan Sheppard and his mother, Stephanie Groulx,2 walked to the home of Groulx's sister, Delores Fredericks, and her husband at 12509 Rhodine Road. Just before they arrived, Fredericks' husband placed their two pit bulls in a crate. Logan was given ice cream and left alone while the adults went into the master bedroom to talk.

When the adults heard the child scream, they ran out and discovered that Logan was gone. At the same time, two deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, who were conducting an unrelated traffic stop nearby, also heard the child's screams. The deputies raced to the home and found Logan Sheppard on the front lawn of the house with the two pit bulls standing over him. The little boy was pronounced dead at the scene around 10:30 pm. The investigation continues.

Q: How safe are crated pit bulls around children visiting the dog owner's home? A: Not very safe.

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

1While complete speculation, this is most certainly possible with many-a-die-hard pit bull owners.
2The mother's Facebook page shows that she is a considerable pit bull enthusiast. Given that "Proud Pitty Parent" was uploaded twice to her album, it is safe to assume that she currently or in the recent past has owned pit bulls.

Photo: MyNews13.com

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Colleen Lynn

"If the existing system fails to track critical data then fix the system so that it does." -DogsBite.org

Joint Summary Statement
DogsBite.org - Last September, after the White House unwisely responded to a We the People1 petition pertaining to breed-specific legislation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DogsBite.org wrote to CDC Director, Dr. Thomas Frieden. Our letter warned of the serious repercussions this response would have on local governments who are grappling with mauling and maiming injuries and deaths inflicted by a handful of well-recognized dangerous dog breeds.

The CDC's response was predictable and set about a new series of actions. In December, we filed an FOIA with the CDC requesting the total number of U.S. dog bite fatalities from 2000 to 2012. At the very least, we thought then, since the CDC only tracks the number of fatalities (no other parameters), we could compare this data set against our own. The CDC response said they had no records at all pertaining to our request. We knew this was untrue and filed an appeal.2

Shortly thereafter, DogsBite.org began working on a larger research project regarding the CDC. Jeff Borchardt and Daxton's Friends for Canine Education and Awareness, based in East Troy, Wisconsin, were in contact with Jeff's congressman. Given the insufficient responses we had received from the CDC thus far and that Jeff and his group share the same goal of wanting to understand why the CDC stopped tracking a rich data set for dog bite fatalities, we agreed to help.

DogsBite.org created an extensive document (referred to as the Remedy Document) for Jeff and his group to forward to his congressman. The document outlines a number of remedies the CDC could provide to lower the hurdles faced by victims' advocacy groups, municipalities and law enforcement agencies seeking to prevent grievous and fatal injuries inflicted by a small group of well-documented dangerous dog breeds since the CDC last published on this issue in 2000.

Key Portions of the Remedy Document

The 15-page document explains past conditions leading up to present day and is divided into four central parts: 1.) The "Spirit" of Tracking Rabies -- It is Fatal 2.) The CDC Obfuscates "Bites" with Mauling and Maiming Injuries and Deaths 3.) Broaden Tracking to Include Hospitalizations (Mauling and Maiming Injuries) and 4.) This Epidemic Will Not Go Away on its Own. A summary of our top requested remedies offers a brief overview of the document and is located on Page 4.

By reviewing the Remedy Document, readers will understand why progress in reducing mauling and maiming injuries and deaths by a well-recognized group of dangerous dog breeds is unattainable in present day conditions. As well as, the remedies the CDC could provide to greatly improve these conditions. The document also lays bare the driving forces behind this stagnation of progress: The CDC's reliance upon the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

Conclusion: After reviewing this document, along with the outdated AVMA/CDC study published in 2000 and the adjoining AVMA guide, A Community Approach to Dog Bite Prevention, published in 2001, there will be no mistake that the CDC relinquished all control of the study pertaining to human fatalities by dog breeds to the AVMA. This private professional association’s “research” and “positioning” was dictated to the CDC, which then set public policy. Since the release of the 2000 study, 277 Americans have been mauled to death by pit bulls (226) and rottweilers (51).3

On February 13, we submitted our Remedy Document to Jeff Borchardt who forwarded it to his congressman who then advanced it to the CDC with a letter of inquiry in March. Today, we release a Joint Summary statement of this correspondence and research effort and our final viewpoint about the CDC's failure to track a richer data set for children and adults disfigured, maimed and killed by dogs. In a nutshell: The CDC can collect and analyze this data, but the CDC will not.

Call to Action for Health and Safety Officials

Doctors and researchers must understand that this may be as far as DogsBite.org and Daxton's Friends can take this issue. Medical associations, including pediatrics and emergency physicians groups are best suited to apply pressure to the CDC to resume tracking a richer data set for these victims, at the very least for human fatality victims. We urge doctors and researchers to continue your studies in this area. At some point, the CDC will no longer be able to sidestep this vital issue.

Call to Action for Concerned Citizens

What can a person do to make a difference? Each of you can do what Jeff Borchardt did. Contact your U.S. Representative or Senator and bring this issue to their attention. The CDC is fully aware that they are not providing sufficient information to the American public about this issue, and the CDC, whose mission is to protect America from health, safety and security threats, is turning a blind eye to a known danger that victimizes children the most. Find your congress members.

Key related documents:

Read release post from Daxton's Friends »

Suggested hashtags for victims' advocates: #cdc #trackbetterdata #fixthesystem

1In August 2013, the White House responded to this petition, which is totally out of scope of presidential or federal powers (breed-specific laws are a state and local matter), after it reached the lowest threshold of 30,000 signatures; the standard threshold is 100,000. In June 2014, TechPresident.com reported that the e-petition website has since become a ghost town. The writer refers to the petitions as "basically just fodder for the White House press shop."
2In June, the appeal process was resolved; the CDC provided the requested information from 2000 to 2010. In 2010, 38 people died due to being struck or bitten to death by dogs (the CDC cannot distinguish between the two). That is as much information as the U.S. government collects and analyzes about violent dog mauling fatalities.
3Fatality numbers reflect the date the Remedy Document was completed and sent, February 13, 2014.

Posted on July 20, 2014 by Colleen Lynn

Convicted Two Years After Baby's Dog Mauling Death

Johnathan Quarles Jr. was killed by his step-grandmother's pit bull in Dayton, Ohio.

Sentenced to 3 Years archived
UPDATE 06/09/16: Today in a Montgomery County court, a judge sentenced Kimiko Hardy to three years in jail in connection to the mauling death of a baby who was under her care on July 20, 2014. In May, a jury found Hardy guilty on six felony counts after her pit bull killed her 7-month old step-grandson, Johnathan Quarles Jr. During opening statements of the criminal trial, prosecutors said that Hardy's pit bull, named Bussa, crushed the baby’s skull and removed part of his scalp.

The judge applied sentencing on the lower side; Hardy was facing up to 11 years. A few months before Johnathan's death, Hardy's dog attacked a mail carrier, causing the loss of mail delivery to her home for six months. Just weeks before his death, Hardy's pit bull attacked a beagle that was being walked near her home. Afterward, she was ordered to attend a course on "responsible dog ownership," which she did attend, but still failed to take steps to protect the baby from the dog.

05/6/16: Guilty on All Counts archived
On Friday, a babysitter in Ohio was found guilty on six felony counts after her pit bull fatally attacked her 7-month old step-grandson, Johnathan Quarles Jr., while he was under her care in July of 2014. Kimiko Hardy, 38, of Dayton was found guilty of four counts of felony involuntary manslaughter, one count of endangering a child and one count of failure to confine or restrain a vicious dog. Hardy faces up to 11 years in prison. Hardy will be sentenced on June 9.

The guilty verdict follows a four-day trial in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court. It only took jurors 3.5 hours to reach a verdict; prosecutors had a strong case. Three months before her pit bull killed Johnathan, it charged a letter carrier, causing the worker to miss two weeks of work and the loss of mail delivery to Hardy's home for six months, prosecutors said. Just weeks before his death, her pit bull bolted off property and attacked a pet beagle whose injuries required 11 staples.

After these two aggressive acts, Kimiko was ordered to attend a 150-minute training class at the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center (ARC) on responsible dog ownership, prosecutors said. ARC officials testified the course covered neutering, dog bite prevention, proper training, responsibilities of pet owners, how to confine a dog, laws about failure to control a dog and more. Just a few weeks later, Hardy takes a helpless baby into her home and fails to control the dog.

"Sadly, this defendant had warning that this dog was aggressive, which is why we are here today. This dog’s actions on July 20, 2104 were foreseeable." - Karen Groseth, Montgomery County assistant prosecutor

The case centered upon, was it "foreseeable" her pit bull would attack? The answer of course is yes. Hardy had knowledge of her dog's propensity to be vicious. Moreover, while taking care of a baby, she failed to adequately restrain the dog. Though she had two dog crates in her home, she did not use them. The pit bull was simply behind a "baby gate" that it busted through to attack the boy. The dog crushed the baby’s skull and removed part of his scalp, according to prosecutors.

We hope Hardy serves at least six years. This baby's death was preventable and foreseeable.

07/22/15: Pit Bull Owner Indicted archived
Just over a year after a babysitter's pit bull horrifically mauled a baby to death, a Montgomery County grand jury has indicted the babysitter on six felony counts. Kimiko Hardy, 37, the infant's step-grandmother, had full knowledge that her pit bull was dangerous when it attacked and killed 7-month old Johnathan Quarles Jr. on July 20, 2014 at her home on Riverside Drive. The little boy's family was visiting Dayton from Indianapolis and attending family events at the time.

“This defendant was well aware that her dog was a dangerous, even vicious animal, yet she failed to properly control the animal and it killed a completely helpless infant,” Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr.

Prior to killing Johnathan, Hardy's pit bull, named Bussa, charged a letter carrier in April 2014, which caused the worker to miss two weeks of work and the U.S. Postal Service ceased delivering mail to Hardy's home for six months. In the weeks leading up to the deadly attack, Bussa attacked a beagle owned by Isabelle Crickmore as they walked by Hardy's home. After that incident, Hardy attended required classes on "responsible dog ownership," according to the prosecutor’s office.

The grand jury indicted Kimiko Hardy on four counts of involuntary manslaughter, one count of endangering children and one count of failure to confine or restrain a vicious dog, according to a news release from the prosecutor’s office. Given how much time has passed since Jonathan's mauling death, combined with the horrific injustice of Klonda Richey's death, including by this prosecutor's office, we did not believe any significant charges would ever be filed against Hardy.

07/22/14: Cages Seized; Postal Attack
Several key updates about the baby's death were made over the course of last night. Homicide detectives returned to the babysitter's home and seized two dog cages, a bag full of evidence and a hefty metal chain from the backyard. A family spokesman had earlier said that the babysitter's pit bull had been behind a baby gate; the dog jumped over the gate and attacked the baby. The outlook does not appear bright for Kimiko Hardy, who had the means to crate and secure the dog.

In addition to the June 3 attack involving a pet beagle, records obtained by the Dayton Daily News show that on April 25, animal control officers responded to a complaint from the Northridge Post Office that one of its carriers was attacked by a dog at the Hardy's home. The letter carrier escaped injuries by puting his satchel between his leg and the dog. Hardy was cited for failing to have the dog licensed and was given education. She bought a license for the dog five days later.

07/21/14: Baby Identified, Prelim Ruling
The Montgomery County Coroner's Office has ruled the cause of death of an infant attacked and killed by his babysitter's pit bull an accident. Johnathan Quarles Jr., 7-months old, died of blunt force injuries, according to the coroner's preliminary findings. The final coroner's report of the infant, who was visiting from Indianapolis, Indiana, will not be completed for up to eight weeks. On Sunday, while under the care of his step-grandmother, Johnathan was killed by her pet pit bull.

ABC 22 Now reports that a family spokesman, the Rev. Victor Lee, said the family told him the dog jumped over a gate and attacked the boy. The step-grandmother tried to get the dog off, but could not. The news group also took a closer look at the June 3 incident involving the same pit bull. Isabelle Crickmore of Dayton was walking her beagle, named Riba, in front of 2219 Riverside Drive when the pit bull attacked. Riba received three lacerations and 11 staples, Crickmore said.

There is a criminal misdemeanor complaint against the step-grandmother for the June 3 attack. Court records show that a pre-trial hearing for the complaint was postponed last week. "I don't know if she did not show up or what circumstances allowed for a second continuance," Crickmore said. "When I saw that, it just blew me away." She wishes the legal system was quicker and that it did more on June 3. "It just really irks me because this could have been taken care of," she said.

07/20/14: History of Animal Aggression
Additional information has been released. The babysitter is not biologically related to the baby and is now being called the baby's step-grandmother, according to police. The attacking dog is also being called an American Staffordshire terrier, which is the legal definition of a pit bull. The two dog breeds are the very same breed, which is why a single pit bull can still be cross-registered at the UKC as an American pit bull terrier and at the AKC as an American Staffordshire terrier.

According to the Montgomery County coroner's investigation, the baby is from out of state. The child's name has not been released pending notification to family members. The attacking pit bull has a history of animal aggression. A June 3 Dayton Police report shows that the pit bull attacked a beagle that was on a leash and being walked by its owner in front of the step-grandmother's home. The beagle's owner did not want to press charges, but "wanted the incident documented."

07/20/14: Family Pit Bull Kills Baby
Dayton, OH - In a developing story, homicide detectives where called out to a home on Sunday after a baby was killed by a family pit bull. The attack occurred at a home on the 2200 block of Riverside Drive at about 12:30 pm. At the time of the attack, the child's grandmother was babysitting the child. According to police, the grandmother took her eyes off the child for a "few seconds" when the pit bull attacked. The dog was seized by animal control and taken away.

Dayton Daily News reports additional information. The pit bull belongs to the grandmother who was watching the child for the day. Additionally, the on scene police supervisor said that the baby does not live at the address where the attack occurred. As is so often reported by DogsBite.org in occurrences of fatal attacks, this child was visiting the dog owner's home when the fatal attack occurred, and the child was under the care of a babysitter. More information is expected shortly.

Visiting Child + Babysitter + Pit Bull = Extremely Dangerous.

Separately, this is the second fatal dog attack in the City of Dayton in 2014. In early February, 57-year old Klonda Richey was brutally killed by her neighbor's two pit bull-type dogs after she stepped outside her home. Prior to the attack, Klonda had made at least 16 calls to 911 reporting problems with the dogs; had installed a double tiered security fence and surveillance cameras for protection and had attempted to get a civil stalking protection order against the dogs' owner.

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

Square photos: WTHR.com | WHIO.com

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Colleen Lynn

Help For Harmony Fundraiser

Violent Pit Bull Mauling
New Brunswick, NJ - On July 3, a young girl was viciously attacked by two pit bulls while under the care of her babysitter at a home on Lufberry Avenue. Her younger brother was also at the home. Police officers responded to the scene and fired an "undisclosed number" of shots inside the home killing both dogs. Harmony Halyer, 4-years old, was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in critical condition where doctors placed her into a medically induced coma.

Last week we learned more about this attack on a Chasing New Jersey segment. Quadirah Banks, Harmony's mother, said the two pit bulls were owned by her daughter's aunt who lives at the home where the attacked occurred. There had never been a problem with the dogs before, but on July 3, the babysitter ignored the aunt's "specific instructions" to keep the dogs outside and away from the children (according to the video, the babysitter let the dogs inside because it had started raining).

As soon as she let the dogs in, they brutally attacked Harmony. Banks now wants to share with others how dangerous these dogs are. Even in the best of circumstances pit bulls can attack without provocation, Banks said. She does not want any more children or parents to experience what her family is enduring. "It doesn't matter how long you know them or whether you are comfortable with them, or if they're family dogs," Banks said. "They can just snap at any time."

Banks questions in the video, "Does it matter if it is the fault of the owner of the dog? Does it matter if it is the fault of the dog, when pit bulls themselves are disproportionately responsible for serious and fatal attacks?" The news team discusses these questions in the video; one strongly blames the babysitter. His poor logic presumes that the imperfect act by the babysitter, of letting the two family dogs inside the home, would "knowingly" result in a life-threatening attack.

Requiring three police officers to enter the home and fire an "undisclosed number" of shots in front of all persons present in order to end the attack.

Zero Margin of Error Rule

Last year, we wrote about the "zero margin of error" rule for pit bull owners in Beyond the Interview - Essay of a Fatal Pit Bull Mauling. If only the babysitter had "exactly" followed the rules set forth by Daxton's parents, he would still be alive. On that day, the babysitter broke the zero margin of error rule by carrying Daxton outside while letting her dogs into the run. Without provocation her two pit bulls attacked her and then Daxton in a prolonged vicious assault that ended his life.

In the instance of Harmony, we don't know the relationship the babysitter had to the dogs (long term or short term or otherwise). We just know that the aunt's two pit bulls had been around children before and that the babysitter had "specific instructions" to keep the dogs outside, away from the children. How would the babysitter have known that letting the family pit bulls in from the rain would result in a life or death situation requiring police intervention and multiple gunshots?

Babysitting and Pit Bulls

Harmony's attack falls into two tracking categories at DogsBite.org, both of which are elevated risks. She was visiting the dog owner's home at the time of the attack. In 2013, 38% (12) of all dog bite fatalities involved this scenario, which also includes temporarily living at the dog owner's home. Within this subset, 58% (7) involved a babysitter, including a relative or friend under the directive to watch a child 7-years or younger. All 7 of these child deaths were inflicted by pit bulls.

Help For Harmony Fundraiser

We learned today that friends have helped Harmony's mother create a YouCaring page for her daughter. The page provides more details about her medical condition. She has received multiple blood transfusions and surgical procedures since the attack and continues to require a breathing machine and feeding tube, according to the page. Doctors are "taking it one day at a time because of the extensive damage." Doctors have no estimation about when Harmony might be released.

Donations can also be sent to Rutgers Federal Credit Union and made out to account #27155007.

DogsBite blog ::

2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Visiting Child Killed by His Uncle's Two Pit Bulls in Hillsborough County, Florida

Nonprofits Urge CDC to Resume Tracking Richer Data Set for Children and Adults Disfigured, Maimed and Killed by Dogs

"If the existing system fails to track critical data then fix the system so that it does." -DogsBite.org

Criminal Trial: Babysitter Found Guilty After Pit Bull Kills Visiting Baby in Dayton, Ohio

Convicted Two Years After Baby's Dog Mauling Death

New Brunswick Pit Bull Attack: Babysitting, the Zero Margin of Error Rule and a Young Girl Who Needs Help

Help For Harmony Fundraiser