Posted on December 29, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: 3-Year Old Girl Killed by Dogs While Visiting Father in Cincinnati's Roselawn Neighborhood

Biological Father Indicted on Manslaughter and Reckless Homicide

Kingsley Wright, 3-years old, was killed by two dogs while visiting family in Roselawn.

Biological Father Charged
UPDATE 02/12/25: The father of a 3-year old girl killed by his dogs while he slept has been charged in connection with her death. On Tuesday, a Hamilton County grand jury indicted Warren Houston, 45, on felony involuntary manslaughter, felony reckless homicide, and endangering children. On December 27, Houston woke up and discovered Kingsely Wright -- who had been staying with her father for the "first time" -- dead on his living room floor, "completely torn apart" by his two "terrier-mix" dogs.

WLWT released part of the 911 call Houston made that morning. "I just woke up and my daughter is dead. There's blood everywhere, I don't know what happened," Houston told the dispatcher. "I don't understand what went on." When the dispatcher told him to "put away any pets," the father responded, "They're in the cage. That's why I'm like 'Did any of my pets attack her or something?' I would've heard it." When the dispatcher asked, "Were [the dogs] out loose?" Houston responded, "No."

Captured on Security Camera

Prior to the grand jury's indictment, the child's mother said that a security camera captured the attack. During Houston's arraignment hearing Friday, WKRC reports that authorities largely confirmed this. The assistant prosecutor said the attack lasted for about 30 minutes with Kingsley yelling and crying while the dogs were barking loudly. No one in the home woke up until about 7:50 am, when she was found dead. The coroner does not believe she died immediately, the assistant prosecutor said.

Additionally, and a requirement for part of the felony charges, is that one of Houston's two dogs was known to be aggressive. The details of this aggression were not shared during the hearing. That dog was apparently kept caged for this reason, but on the night of the attack, the cage was not functioning. The assistant prosecutor also said there were no barriers keeping the dogs from reaching Kingsley who was sleeping on the living room couch. The judge ordered Houston held on a $200,000 bond.

12/29/24: Killed by Father's Dogs
Cincinnati, OH - Late Friday, WLWT reported that a Cincinnati mother told them her 3-year old daughter was mauled to death by two dogs at a family member's house. Kingsley Wright died Friday morning, her mother said. Cincinnati police spokesperson Lt. Jonathan Cunningham confirmed her death Saturday to the Cincinnati Enquirer. The dog attack occurred just after 8:00 am at a residence in the 7000 block of Stillwell Road, Cunningham said. No other information was released by police.

In a Saturday update by WLWT, Wright's mother, Gina Smith, said her daughter was staying with a family member for the "first time ever" when the dogs attacked her. The mother had no idea these dogs were dangerous. She woke up to a horrifying call from the coroner stating that her daughter died at 9:30 am. Smith said the coroner would not let her see her daughter -- her injuries were so bad, it would not be appropriate. Smith awaits news from police about where the investigation stands.

Information from a commenter, partially confirmed, states that Wright was visiting her father's home. "Her Dad had those dogs in the cage, in a separate room from her, while she was sleep," Calisa H. wrote on the WLWT Facebook post. "They all were asleep, he woke up and found her, he is devastated and understands all of her mom and mom's family feelings, and is very sorry. This is a nightmare as he just learned that Kingsley was his daughter, he was so excited for her to spend time with him..."

Her death recalls the death of baby Barrett Hagans in Knox County, Ohio in 2017, who was spending the night alone with his father "for the first time," when his father's pit bull killed him as he slept in his bassinet. Teddy Hagans came under suspicion by police after they found dozens of empty beer cans, drug paraphernalia and a back room littered with "so much urine and feces in it that I could not breathe due to the odor," an investigator noted in a report. Hagans was never criminally charged.

The obituary for Kingsley Wright states she passed away Friday, December 27, 2024, in Cincinnati." She is described as "a happy girl with a beautiful laugh and smile." The biological father of Wright isn't named in her obituary. Also, no one with knowledge about her death on the WLWT Facebook post denies the dogs involved were pit bulls. Given the going trends of pit bulls, the dogs her father kept in a cage "in a separate room from her," stand a good chance of being of the XL bully variety.

Smith's boyfriend states in the WLWT piece the dogs are over 100 pounds. "Those kind of dogs are over 100 pounds," Josh said. "So did they just sit on her and kill her, and then start mauling on her?" He also states that Wright had been sleeping on the couch. "Why? What made them want to do that to just a little baby sleeping on the couch?" Smith is devastated that she never got to say goodbye to her daughter. Smith hopes law enforcement will keep her in the loop as the investigation continues.

911 Call & Dog Breed

On Monday, WLWT published part of the 911 call and information about the dog breed. "I just woke up and my daughter is dead. There's blood everywhere, I don't know what happened," the caller said, who described himself as Wright's father. When the 911 dispatcher told him to secure his dogs, he responded, "They're in the cage. That's why I'm like 'Did any of my pets attack her or something?' I would've heard it." The dispatcher asked if the dogs were loose, to which the caller responded, "No."

According to the 911 call, the dogs were "terriers," which indicates they were not a mastiff breed, such as a cane corso. They were, apparently, over 100 pound "terriers," which indicates an XL pit bull or American Staffordshire "terrier" breed. "Terrier" is also a term used to camouflage pit bull breeds. Numerous public shelters across the country label pit bulls "terrier-mix" in shelter adoption listings, most notoriously by Miami-Dade Animal Services to evade the county's former pit bull terrier ban.

Located Dog Owner

After the attack, Cincinnati Animal CARE removed three dogs from the home. Director Meaghan Colville stated that two of dogs are 50 pounds and identified the pair as "terrier mixes, mixed breed." Colville next falsely stated that only a DNA test could determine breed. "Cincy CARE," as it is known, is the sole taxpayer-funded provider for the county's dog warden and animal control services. But that does not stop the agency from lying to the public after a child is horrifically killed by dogs.

Due to Marlana calling the dogs' owner "My dad," Calisa H. being one of his Facebook friends, and the address of the fatal attack, we were able to identify the dogs' owner. The most recent images of one of his pit bulls is from August 2024, followed by September 2022, according to Reels on his Facebook page. These are American pit bull terriers -- not the XL bully or cane corso. It's unclear where the child's mother and boyfriend received the information about the dogs being "over 100 pounds."

The child's mother, Gina Smith, told WKRC that a security camera captured the attack. "All I know is what the detective has told us is that they had a home security camera; he had it in his living room where she had been sleeping on the couch," Smith said. "They told us what happened, stuff with the dogs attacking..." The time of the attack has not been released. It is only known that the father awoke about 7:50 am, walked into the living room, found blood all over and his daughter dead on the floor.

killed by dogs while visiting family in roselawn during holiday

Three adult pit bulls seen on the dog owner's Facebook pages, one as recently as August.

Commenter Calisa H. on the WLWT Facebook post provided unconfirmed information.

A person who calls the father "Dad," posted on Facebook, "They went after my baby face what noises can she make if she was attacked in her face while she was sleep." She also said, "We still don’t know how the dogs got out or what even provoked them to attack my little sister."

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

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.

Posted on December 27, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Man, 40, Found Dead in Mobile Home Park After Being Mauled by Dog in Marshall County, Alabama

Francisco Batz-Lux, 40, died as the result of a dog mauling in Marshall County.

Dog Mauling Death
Albertville, AL - On December 22, at approximately 11:00 am, the Marshall County Coroner's Office responded to a mobile home park at 100 Greenwood Drive about a deceased man. The coroner identified the man as 40-year old Francisco Batz-Lux. An autopsy conducted by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences determined Batz-Lux died as a result of a dog mauling. The death was ruled an accident. Any further information will be released by the Albertville Police Department.

12/27/24—"On Sunday, December 22, 2024 the Marshall County Coroner’s Office responded to the mobile home park located at 100 Greenwood Drive, Albertville in reference to a male subject being located dead in an open area located in the park. The decedent was identified as Francisco Batz-Lux, 40, of Albertville. Evidence on scene and trauma to the decedent led investigators to reach out to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science for an autopsy to be performed. Based on the findings of the medical examiner and evidence on scene it has been determined that the death is accidental and that the decedent died as the result of a dog mauling. This case is still under investigation and any further information will be released from the Albertville Police Department." - Marshall County Coroner’s Office

12/23/24—"During the morning hours of December 22, Albertville Police Oﬃcers were dispatched to the area of 1st Street and Baltimore Avenue due to a male lying near the roadway. Upon their arrival, oﬃcers discovered a deceased Hispanic male, who was identified as Francisco Lux of Albertville. An investigation was initiated, with the body of Mr. Lux being sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science to determine cause of death. Please join us in praying for Mr. Lux’s family in their time of loss." - Alberville Police Department

No other information has been released, including if the victim lived in the mobile home park, if any dogs residing in the park are undergoing DNA testing, the number of dogs involved or the breeds of dogs. The name of the park is also unclear. The coroner's press release states Batz-Lux was "located dead in an open area" inside the park. Batz-Lux's death marks the fourth fatal dog mauling in north Alabama this year, including the deaths in Morgan County, Madison County and Lawrence County.

Three Dogs Involved

Nearly 10 days after the fatal dog mauling, police confirmed that three dogs were running loose in the area when officers arrived. All three dogs were taken into custody and are being held at the animal shelter in Albertville. Investigators are trying to determine whether those dogs were the ones that killed Batz-Lux. News footage shows a cross and flowers marking the spot where his body was found, across from mobile home unit 54 on Greenwood drive. No other information was released.

Man mauled to death by dog in Marshall County

Francisco Batz-Lux, 40, was killed by a dog in a mobile home park in Albertville, Alabama.

Mobile home park on Greenwood Drive in Marshall County where a man was killed by a dog.

Posted on December 18, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Dog Owner Charged After Woman, 21, Killed by Two Pit Bull-Type Dogs in Augusta, Georgia

After Samara Rogers was killed by dogs, the owner was charged with manslaughter.

Woman Walking Killed by Dogs
Augusta, GA - A 21-year old woman is dead after being attacked by two dogs Wednesday in Augusta. At approximately 10:29 am, Richmond County sheriff's deputies responded to the 3500 block of Ira Road in reference to a dog attack. Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowden said the victim, Samara Rogers, was walking on Ira Road when the dogs attacked her. Upon arrival, deputies located the severely injured victim. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:05 am, according to Bowden.

WRDW captured footage of an animal control officer and deputy removing the two large dogs from a nearby home with a catch pole. The first was white with a few dark spots and the second was tan with a darker muzzle and a white chest. Both are pit bull-type dogs. The white dog appears similar in size and structure as "Blade," which killed baby Serenity Garnett in Martinez, a suburb of Augusta, in 2022. The baby's great-grandmother, Migdelia Guadalupe, was sentenced to six years in prison.

Not long after the dogs were seized from the home on Ira Road, the sheriff's office arrested Charles David Blackwell, 55, of Augusta, for involuntary manslaughter in connection to Rogers' death. We believe we located the brown dog on Kimberly Blackwell's Facebook page, his wife, who is asking for prayers for "Chuck Blackwell," and "I’m doing everything I can. I love you thick and thin we will get through this." One commenter asked, "What about the poor girl that was killed by your dogs?"

There are also unconfirmed comments on the Jail Report Facebook page stating that a person was bitten by one of these dogs as recently as yesterday. Typically (if not always), the criminal charge of manslaughter or higher is only filed if the dog(s) were involved in bites or acts of aggression prior to the deadly mauling. Authorities are expected to provide additional information as the investigation progresses. So far, we have not seen any comments from the victim's family members or friends.

Previous Bites Confirmed

On Friday, WRDW reported that multiple dogs owned by Blackwell had a bite history. "Gator," a neutered brown and white pit bull had at least three previous bites. "Rebel," a brown and black intact male pit bull, had at least two previous bites before being euthanized in 2020. The most recent bites, in 2023, are attributed to "Baby Boy," a brown intact male pit bull, and "White Girl," a white intact female pit bull. Most of the bites occurred on Old McDuffie Road, where his wife apparently resides.

Blackwell is also a backyard breeder. So, new biting pit bulls are always around the corner. Gator (presumably) and Rebel were euthanized prior to the fatal mauling. So that leaves Baby Boy and White Girl as two dogs belonging to Blackwell, each with a documented bite history, that might have participated in the fatal attack. Both dogs attacked a male jogger in August 2023. It is unknown how many adult pit bulls were residing at the two Blackwell homes when the fatal mauling occurred.

dog owner charged after 2 pit bulls kill samara rogers

Two pit bull-type dogs being seized from a home on Ira Road after a deadly dog mauling.

Samara Rogers, 21-years old, was killed by two dogs on Ira Road in Augusta, Georgia.

Unconfirmed reports of a previous bite by one of the two dogs as recently as yesterday.

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

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Young Woman Killed by Multiple Dogs in Coarsegold, Madera County Sheriff's Office Says

An 18-year old woman named Lexi was killed by multiple pit bull-mix dogs in Coarsegold.

Police Press Release
Coarsegold, CA - On Monday, the Madera County Sheriff's Office issued a press release, followed by an alert, about a woman killed by dogs. Deputies were dispatched just after 3:30 pm for a dog attack near the 46000 block of Road 417 in Coarsegold. Upon arrival, they found the woman, who was pronounced deceased at the scene. The dogs involved were contained, but while being removed, two escaped. Deputies shot and killed one; the other, a large white pit bull-mix, remained at large.

DOG MAULING INVESTIGATION UPDATE

UPDATE 1:30p 12/17/24

A team of deputies was assigned to search for the outstanding dog from yesterday’s mauling incident. During a search of the area, the third canine that escaped last night was located. During the contact, Deputies were forced to put it down.

There is no further known threat to residents in that area. We believe the canines responsible for the mauling incident have been located.

###

9:30pm—Residents in the area of the 46000 block of Road 417 in Coarsegold:
During the course of taking the dogs into Animal Control custody, two of the animals escaped containment. Deputies were forced to put one of them down, and the other is currently loose.

The outstanding dog is a large pit bull mix described as white in color.
We ask residents in the area to be vigilant and remain alert. If you see any loose dogs, DO NOT APPROACH. Contact 9-1-1 with a description and your location. We will have a deputy posted in the area until the dog is located.

###

DOG MAULING INVESTIGATION IN COARSEGOLD
Shortly after 3:30pm on 12/16/24, the Madera County Sheriff’s Emergency Communications Center received a call reporting a dog mauling near the 46000 block of Road 417 in Coarsegold.

Deputies responded to the area and located a female victim, who was ultimately pronounced deceased at the scene. The dogs involved in the attack have been identified and are currently contained, awaiting removal by Animal Control. The owner of the dogs is being fully cooperative with the investigation.

This case is in the preliminary stages of investigation, and no further details are available for release at this time.

KSEE reports the two dogs escaped while they were being transported by animal control around 9:30 pm. Deputies urged residents in the area to be "vigilant and remain alert." If you see any loose dogs, "do not approach." Instead call 911 with a description. "We will have a deputy posted in the area until the dog is located," states the release. The dogs' owner is being cooperative with authorites. The victim's identity has not been released, nor have circumstances surrounding the fatal dog mauling.

Attack Occurred on Tribal Trust Land

Sheriff Tyson Pogue confirmed the fatal dog mauling occurred on tribal trust land, where Madera County statutory ordinances and animal control have no jurisdiction. The victim was not identified, but her age was, she's only 18 years old. Three dogs were involved in the attack and belong to the same owner. Pogue said the dogs were contained at the residence, which was about 100 feet from the attack. As deputies tried to remove the dogs, two escaped, forcing deputies to dispatch one dog.

On Tuesday, deputies located the other loose dog, the large white pit bull-mix, and dispatched that dog as well. The Madera County Sheriff's Office said the investigation is ongoing. Despite the divisions between the two jurisdictions, detectives are working with the Madera County District Attorney’s Office to determine if any criminal charges are appropriate. No other information has been released about the circumstances of the fatal dog mauling or the victim's relationship, if any, with the dogs' owner.

Three Pit Bull-Mix Dogs Destroyed

Also on Tuesday, Sheriff Tyson Pogue gave a press conference. The victim, who had been visiting from Fresno, was found deceased at Road 417 and Quartz Mountain Road. The reporting party saw two pit bull-mix dogs covered in blood and a third nearby. A neighbor explained to Pogue that he takes care of the dogs. “He specifically said they weren’t necessarily his dogs, but that they stayed with him, so it’s a little bit convoluted, I guess, in that matter,” Pogue stated during the press conference.

While police processed the scene, all three dogs were secured inside the neighbor's home, which was about 100 feet from the location of the attack, Pogue said. When animal control tried to take the dogs into custody, while they were pulling one dog out of the house, two rushed the door and escaped, Pogue said. One of those dogs was dispatched after it threatened personnel at the scene. After an extensive search by multiple deputies, the third dog was located the next day and euthanized.

GoFundMe for Dog Mauling Victim

The 18-year old victim's first name is Lexis. A GoFundMe campaign for her was organized by Vanessa Gomez. "As many of you know Lexis was involved in a dog attack that sadly took her from all of her loved ones yesterday December 16th." The fund has raised nearly $4,000. The fund asks for "everyone who knew and loved her to come together" and help her family lay her to rest properly. All donations are appreciated and will go to her mother to "cover all and any expenses during this time."

Her father, Garry Salas, states the fundraiser was created by her biological mother, Kellie. "I know everyone is confused about this so I'm making this post!! To all of our friends and family We have not made a GoFundMe account for our daughter Lexis Salas!!!" It seems family members will work this out, but there is some confusion. It was Lexi's roommate who set up the fund on behalf of Lexi's mother, who will be taking care of her daughter's funeral. Garry said he will also set up a fundraiser.

A GoFundMe was created for the 18-year old fatal dog mauling victim identified as Lexis.

Three pit bull-mix dogs, killed Lexis, 18, in Coarsegold near Quartz Mountain Road. The area is part of the Picayune Off-Reservation Trust Land near the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino.

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

DogsBite blog ::

Biological Father Indicted on Manslaughter and Reckless Homicide