In the 15-year period of 2005 through 2019, canines killed 521 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% (346) of these deaths. Combined, pit bulls and rottweilers contributed to 76% of the total recorded deaths. | More »
Leslie McCray was killed by a pit bull dog on September 22, her daughter says.
Daughter's Tweet
Conway, SC - We were alerted today about a GoFundMe for Leslie McCray, about 56-years old, that was organized by her daughter Lakindra McCray, both living in Conway. "We just lost our mom Leslie McCray and we are grieving," Lakindra wrote. "We need help raising up the funds to have her funeral and bury her in peace." On Lakindra's X account, she stated on September 24, "I just lost my mom to a pitbull dog attack and we didn't had no insurance on her. I have set up a go fund me page..."
She Tweeted a similar message on September 25. "Well I just losted my mother on September 22, 2024 and she died due to a pitbull dog attack. We didn't get to had insurance on her in time so we have to come up with the money to burial her. I did set up a go fund me page." More announcements about her mother's passing and photographs in her memory are located on Lakindra's Facebook page. Nothing else is known at this time. Our nonprofit reached out to a veteran journalist in the region.
Not a Family Dog
According to a recent Tweet by Lakindra, this was not a family dog. She stated on September 26, "We got a case investigation going on now. We have a clue who the owner is but need more people to speak up and talk." Horry County is a southeast county that sits along the Atlantic Ocean. Right now, Hurricane Helene is wreaking havoc on this region, making landfall Thursday night, but will then turn west. With a major event like this, there may be no news media teams available that can help her.
According to the victim's Facebook page, she resided in Conway, South Carolina.
On September 26, she stated that an investigation had started; they are seeking the owner.
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.
Judge Sentences Both Owners to Over 10 Years in Prison After Fatal Dog Mauling
Prosecution presents closing arguments to 226th District Court Judge Velia Meza.
Judge Issues Sentences UPDATE 09/20/24: On Friday, September 20, 2024, Judge Velia Meza sentenced the owners of two pit bulls that brutally killed a man and critically injured his wife in February of 2023. Christian Moreno and Abilene Schnieder, both 32, were each sentenced to over 10-years in prison in connection to the death of 81-year old Ramon Najera. Charges of recklessly causing injury to an elderly person, his wife Janie Najera, were dismissed in August when the couple pleaded guilty, whereby avoiding a trial.
Judge Meza asked the defendants to stand before she read her sentence. Meza then sentenced Moreno to 18 years of confinement and Schnieder to 15 years of confinement in connection to their pit bulls killing Ramon, calling the attack "an unspeakable horror that is going to resonate in our community for a very long time." The dogs had bitten three people leading up to the February 24, 2023 fatal mauling. After each bite victim, the owners paid fees to have their dogs returned to them.
Judge Meza issued the longest sentence our nonprofit has ever seen under the Texas felony dog attack statute that was enacted in 2007. The offense is a second-degree felony and punishable by up to 20 years. After the judge ruled, Moreno and Schnieder were handcuffed. Janie then gave a powerful victim impact statement. Janie agreed with the judge's ruling, calling it "adequate punishment", but also believed "the city should be there sitting next to you guys because they are guilty too."
"What happened to Mr. Najera was an unspeakable horror that is going to resonate in our community for a very long time. Unlike any other cases I have presided over, this one is different. It is different because we are not dealing with an intentional act. We are not dealing with a drive by shooting or any other type of murder. It was a case of criminally negligent behavior.
On the one hand, we have the city of San Antonio Animal Care Services swearing under oath, giving testimony that left me with the impression that this was about a 'missing affidavit.' That none of the previous bite victims came forward to declare the dogs 'dangerous dogs.' After hearing from the neighbors on Depla and Darby Street, I find the testimony I heard from the city of San Antonio very difficult to believe. What I do believe is the people from the West Side neighborhood. I find the testimony of David Avila, Fernando Esparza, Deborah Flores, Silvia Avila, not only credible, but very persuasive and compelling.
The city of San Antonio is not on trial here. They will have their day in court, and their lawsuit to contend with. But about this case, what I do have to say is that it's not about a 'missing affidavit.' Clearly our city has a lot of work to do to provide services to deal with responsible dog ownership. To echo what most, if not all the witnesses testified to, this was preventable. If the first line of defense fails because dog owners are not responsible, the second line of defense should not have failed.
Mr. Moreno, Mrs. Schnieder, this is about responsible dog ownership. It involves not only taking care of your dog but insuring the safety of the people in our neighborhoods, in our communities. Not only the people, but other pets in the neighborhood and communities. We all have that responsibility to each other, and you failed at that.
Mr. Moreno, it is the order of the Court that you will be sentenced to 18 years confinement in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division. There is a $5,000 fine. No restitution -- the victim has not requested restitution. You are prohibited from owning or possessing 'any' dogs if you make parole on this case. This is a plea bargain case, however, you have the right to appeal...
Mrs. Schnieder, your sentence is 15 years confinement in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division. There is a $5,000 fine. No restitution -- because Mrs. Najera does not want it. You too are prohibited from owning or possessing 'any' dogs if you make parole. Both of you are also ordered to have no contact with Depla Street and Darby Street. Yours is also a plea bargain case. However, you have a right to appeal..." - District Court Judge Velia Meza, September 20, 2024
09/19/24: The State's Closing Arguments
San Antonio, TX - On February 24, 2023, Ramon Najera, 81, was brutally killed by two pit bulls in front of his 75-year old wife, Janie Najera, in the 2800 block of Depla Street. One of the dogs tore a dialysis shunt out of Ramon's arm. "There was blood all over the place," one witness said. When San Antonio firefighters arrived, they fought off the pit bulls with pickaxes and pipe poles. Both dog owners pleaded guilty to one felony count in August. Last week, the punishment phase of the trial was held.
Judge Velia Meza will announce sentencing on September 20. Leading up to this, we are running several videos. The first is the testimony of Ramon's widow, Janie, who suffered critical injuries in the attack, followed by SAPD Officer Jesse Mendez, who was one of the first to arrive on the scene. Our last video in this series are the closing arguments by Bexar County prosecutor Raul Jordan, who walks through the "Negligence Timeline" and even points out the old scarring wounds on the pit bulls.
Jordan begins by declaring that the dog owners, Christian Moreno and Abilene Schnieder,1 showed "conscious indifference" to the dangers their dogs posed to the public. There were three previous bites leading up to the fatal attack, along with numerous neighbors confronting them about their aggressive dogs. During this period, prior to the deadly mauling, Moreno and Schnieder plastered a sign on their home that read: "Fuck you Cops, CPS, Mayor, Callers!!!! Suck a dick and go 2 hell."
Jordan also addresses the defense's argument that because the defendants are "poor" they used their pit bulls as a "security system." During the period of the previous bites, September 2021 to January 2023, the couple at times did not have electricity or running water, and dog feces were found smeared on the floors of their home. Yet, they always managed to come up with hundreds in cash to get their dogs out of impound ($1,000 total). "It doesn't make sense," Jordan said. "It's just so suspicious."
"Where are they getting the money? Why are they getting these dogs out of custody?" the prosecutor asked the court. "It's just so suspicious."
The maximum penalty under the Texas felony dog attack statute is 20 years in prison. "That is exactly what the state is asking for, 20 years," Jordan told the court. "We believe that every single one of those years is well-deserved." Extenuating circumstances include the judge weighing the defense's argument that the city of San Antonio could have processed these dogs as "dangerous dogs" due to their repeated bite history, which would have led to them being euthanized before the fatal attack.
During prosecution closing arguments, the state showed old scar wounds on pit bull "King."
1During Schnieder's police interview, she called the fatal dog mauling a "freak accident," a term that has been employed by pit bull owners after their dog kills someone since the 1980s. “This was a freak accident, this was not something we caused,” she said. “Like Shamu at Sea World, nobody expected it to kill its trainer." That was an ill-fated comparison, given that captive killer whale "Tilikum" had killed two people prior to killing trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010.
San Antonio police officer testifies in the punishment phase of the fatal dog attack trial.
Police Officer Testifies
San Antonio, TX - On February 24, 2023, Ramon Najera, 81, was brutally killed by two pit bulls in front of his 75-year old wife, Janie Najera, in the 2800 block of Depla Street. One of the dogs tore a dialysis shunt out of Ramon's arm. "There was blood all over the place," one witness said. When San Antonio firefighters arrived, they fought off the pit bulls with pickaxes and pipe poles. Both dog owners pleaded guilty to one felony count in August. Last week, the punishment phase of the trial was held.
Judge Velia Meza will announce sentencing on September 20. Leading up to the sentencing, we are running several videos, including the testimony of Ramon's widow, Janie, who suffered critical injuries in the attack. The next video in this series is the testimony of SAPD Officer Jesse Mendez, a 7-year veteran. At the 2:41 mark, Mendez, who was wearing a body camera, recounts the events of that day. The pit bulls were already inside the owner's fenced yard when Mendez arrived at the scene.
"The first thing I remember seeing is blood everywhere," officer Mendez testified. "There was so much blood, you could taste it in your mouth." When asked by Bexar County prosecutor Raul Jordan to explain this, Mendez said, "It's like the taste of iron in the air from the amount of blood that was at the crime scene." Mendez next interacted with one of the dog owners at the scene, Abilene Schnieder. The prosecutor then entered the officer's bodycam video of this interaction into the court record.
The prosecutor plays this video. The first thing she asked Mendez was, "Am I in trouble?" Both Schnieder and her husband, Christian Moreno, face up to 20 years in jail when Judge Meza issues her sentence on Friday. Extenuating circumstances include the judge weighing the defense's argument that if the city of San Antonio had processed these dogs as "dangerous dogs" prior to the attack -- due to three previous bites -- this would have led to them being euthanized prior to the fatal attack.
SAPD Officer Jesse Mendez testified, "There was so much blood you could taste it."
San Antonio firefighters try to beat off the two violent pit bulls with pickaxes and pipe poles.
Janie Najera, 75, testifies about the pit bulls that killed her husband on February 24, 2023.
Widow Testifies
San Antonio, TX - On February 24, 2023, Ramon Najera, 81, was brutally killed by two pit bulls in front of his 75-year old wife, Janie Najera, in the 2800 block of Depla Street. One of the dogs tore a dialysis shunt out of Ramon's arm. "There was blood all over the place," one witness said. When San Antonio firefighters arrived, they fought off the pit bulls with pickaxes and pipe poles. Both dog owners pleaded guilty to one felony count in August. Last week, the punishment phase of the trial was held.
Judge Velia Meza will announce sentencing on September 20. Leading up to this, we are running several videos. The first is the testimony of Ramon's widow, Janie, who suffered critical injuries in the attack. The couple had been married for 45 years. Ramon was Air Force veteran, who served 21 years. At the 11:50 mark, Janie testifies about the events that day and when she was told that her husband had died. The camera also shows the dog owners in the courtroom, mainly Abilene Schnieder.
After her testimony, Janie gave an exclusive interview with KSAT (see the long version too). She describes the moment the white pit bull, "the one that pulled the dialysis line out," walked away from her and attacked her husband. "I could hear my husband screaming," she said. "I am thankful that the fire department got there. My husband is my hero because he saved my life. But the fire department, they are my heroes too. If they had not gotten there, I think the dogs would have finished me off too."
Judge Meza can sentence each defendant, Christian Moreno and Schnieder, up to 20 years in prison. Since the passage of the Texas felony dog attack law in 2007, we do not believe any dog owner has ever been sentenced the maximum. Extenuating circumstances include the judge weighing the defense's argument that the city of San Antonio, who had returned the dogs to the owners on three previous occasions after three previous bites before the fatal attack, played any role in his death.
Janie Najera testifies during the punishment phase of the San Antonio fatal pit bull attack trial.
View the DogsBite.org Google Map: South Carolina Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.
