Posted on May 30, 2021 by Colleen Lynn

2021 Dog Bite Fatality: New Mexico Dog Owner Charged with Tampering with Evidence After His Dogs Killed a Man

Dominic Ribera was charged with tampering with evidence after his dogs killed a man.

New Details Released
UPDATE 06/03/21: Additional details have been released about the May 24 mauling death of a man in Veguita. Dominic Ribera was arrested and charged with multiple felonies after the vicious attack. El Defensor Chieftain reports that four adult dogs were involved in the attack, including one shot by deputies when they arrived at the scene. Six puppies were also seized from Ribera's property. Blood samples were taken from the fur of the adult dogs and placed into evidence.

The criminal complaint states that while Lt. Richard Lopez and the county's animal control officer were at the scene, Lopez saw Ribera place wooden objects against part of his fence, covering a hole where dog tracks could be seen. It appeared the dogs were using the hole to escape the yard, the complaint states. One of the dogs taken into custody had recently bitten a neighbor. Another of Ribera's dogs had to be killed recently by a neighbor after it attacked his animals.

The Albuquerque Journal identified the victim as 53-year old Jose Ortega. He was discovered face-down near some chamisa bushes. He had been dead for several hours. There was a pack of aggressive dogs nearby -- some had blood on their faces. Lopez shot and killed one of the dogs and an animal control officer pepper sprayed several others, as the two men tried to round up the animals. All 10 dogs taken into custody at the scene were pit bull-mixes, reports the Journal.

Other details of the investigation were outlined in court documents, including statements from Ortega's niece, Leslie Martinez. "I knew his dogs were vicious, we all knew that something was going to happen," Martinez said. She said her uncle had gone to water the plants at the home of Ribera’s neighbor when the attack happened. "He couldn’t fight the dogs off, he wasn’t strong enough," Martinez said. She said Ortega was disabled and had a number of health issues.

05/30/21: Man Killed by Dogs
Socorro County, NM - In another fatal dog attack, where police did not issue a press release after the attack, deputies found an adult male dead with torn clothing and bite marks on May 24. The owner of the dogs, Dominic Ribera, told deputies he went outside after he heard his dogs making noises, reports KOB-TV. Once he got outside, he discovered a man lying on the ground. Ribera was going to attempt CPR on the man, but after poking him with a stick realized he was dead.

Ribera has been charged with possession of a dangerous dog, failure to report a death, and tampering with evidence, according to authorities.

According to court documents obtained by KOB-TV, Ribera discovered the victim at 11:00 am, but waited three hours before contacting the police. The victim's niece, Leslie Martinez, told deputies that neighbors have contacted law enforcement about Ribera's dogs multiple times and even confronted Ribera about keeping his dogs secured, which he refused to do. Deputies seized 10 dogs from Ribera's property, including a pit bull-mix that deputies shot when they arrived.

Felony Tampering Cases

In the past two years, there have been at least two fatal pit bull attacks where felony tampering charges were brought afterward. The most recent was the death of 9-year old Robby Taylor in Arkansas. Trey Wyatt was charged with felony tampering with physical evidence and numerous other charges in connection to his death. In 2019, Daniel Alexander was charged with felony tampering with physical evidence at the scene after three pit bulls killed 46-year old Brian Butler.

Court filings indicate that on May 24, Ribera was charged with a third degree felony for the possession of a dangerous dog and the death of a person. (This statute is located on our Felony Dog Attack Laws page). He was also charged with a fourth degree felony for tampering with evidence and a misdemeanor for failure to report a violent death. The preliminary examination is scheduled for June 23, 2021. Court records indicate Ribera has a history of low-level offenses.

According to a KRQE report, the tampering with evidence charge is the result of Ribera trying to cover up this hole in his fence while the scene was being investigated by authorities.

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 May 26, 2021 by Colleen Lynn

2021 Dog Bite Fatality: Boy, 4, Killed by His Grandparents Two Rottweilers in Jefferson County, Montana

Elliot Sherman, 4-years old, was killed by his grandparent's two rottweilers on May 9.

Cause of Death
UPDATE 05/28/21: More information has been released about a 4-year old boy that was killed by his grandparents' two rottweilers on May 9 near Whitehall. The boy left his grandparents, who were outside the home, to go inside the home, reports KRTV. After 45 minutes, his grandparents went to check on him and found him badly injured by the dogs. The grandparents started CPR on the child. After the sheriff and EMS arrived, Elliot Sherwin was pronounced dead at the scene.

"The cause of death is numerous puncture wounds and lacerations to his arms, legs, torso area." - Jefferson County Sheriff Craig Doolittle

Elliot's grandparents had recently gained custody of the boy, and moved to the area from Washington state, reports KRTV. The boy had grown up with the rottweilers since they were puppies. There were no indications or reports the dogs showed viciousness in the past. Both dogs were euthanized. The cause of death was ruled an accident. The grandfather's Facebook page still shows the pair of rottweilers. No other information has been released by authorities.

05/26/21: Rottweilers Kill Boy
Whitehall, MT - In the wake of a pair of family rottweilers killing a baby in North Carolina, the Montana Standard reports that two dogs killed a 4-year old boy in early May. Jefferson County Sheriff Craig Doolittle confirmed the boy's death Wednesday. The case continues to be under investigation and autopsy results haven't been finalized. The deadly attack occurred at the boy's grandparents' home on Cedar Crest Road on May 9. Doolittle identified the boy as Elliott Sherwin.

The boy was pronounced dead at the scene, Doolittle said. "There was an ambulance called there from Jefferson Valley EMS, Life Flight was called and the victim was pronounced deceased at the scene," Doolittle said. The two dogs, believed to be rottweilers, were euthanized after the attack, Doolittle said. Deputy County Attorney Andrew Paul told The Standard his office could not comment on an ongoing investigation and that no legal proceedings had been initiated.

Fatal Rottweiler Attacks

There were no recorded fatal rottweiler attacks in 2020. There were four fatal rottweiler attacks recorded in 2019. In California, 2-year old Jaysiah Chavez was killed by two roaming rottweilers. In Nevada, 15-month old Kyna DeShane was killed by a rottweiler while visiting her grandfather's home. In Tennessee, 19-year old Adrieanna O'Shea was killed by a pack of dogs involving a rottweiler-mix. In Kentucky, 3-year old Steven Thornton was killed by two family rottweilers.

The delay in reporting this Montana attack comes during a period where we have seen a sharp decline in media reports of fatal dog maulings. During 2020, we saw a 45% decrease in media reports compared to 2019. Of the 46 persons killed by dogs in 2020, nearly one-quarter, 22%, lacked an official news release as well. This situation has continued in 2021. This year, reported fatalities are down 35% compared to a similar pre-Covid period (January 1 to May 26, 2019).

The two rottweilers seen on the boy's grandfather's Facebook page on April 10, 2020.

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

Posted on May 26, 2021 by Colleen Lynn

2021 Dog Bite Fatality: Pair of Family Rottweilers Kill Baby in Johnston County, North Carolina

The Baby's Parents Work in Law Enforcement and EMS

Malia Scott Winberry, 10-months old, was killed by a pair of family rottweilers.

Rottweilers Kill Baby
Angier, NC - A 10-month old baby girl died Tuesday after being attacked by a pair of family rottweilers. Johnston County deputies responded to a home on Riparian Court in Willow Spring about 8:00 pm. When deputies arrived, the baby was unresponsive. Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell said the baby's father stepped outside briefly and was speaking to a neighbor when he heard a commotion inside. He went back inside to find the rottweilers attacking the baby.

"Bizzell said the father is a law enforcement officer in Wake County, and the mother works for Johnston County’s EMS." - Multiple news reports

Other details released by police include, "an investigation determined the father, who is a law enforcement officer, had briefly left the baby unattended in the home to go outside and move a sprinkler in the yard. He heard a commotion and when he went back inside, the girl had been attacked by the family's dogs," as reported by WTVD News. These are similar circumstances to the fatal mauling of a baby in Dallas in 2015 by a family pit bull the mother called a "Big Baby."

This region of North Carolina is known as the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill). Last month, in the adjacent Wake County, a 7-year old girl was killed by two pit bulls. The location of this attack is about 15 miles from the Town of Garner, where Jayden Henderson was killed and her mother was severely injured by two pit bulls they were caring for while their owners were away. The owners of those pit bulls are still fighting to get these dangerous dogs returned to them.

Baby Identified

On Wednesday, police identified the baby as Malia Scott Winberry. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found her father, Scott Winberry, rendering aid to her. "The Sheriff’s Office and EMS responded but were unsuccessful on reviving the child," Johnston County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Danny Johnson said. "It’s a bad scene," he said during a Tuesday press conference. This is "very hard in us all because we all have children. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family."

A spokeswoman for Johnston County Emergency Services, where the mother of the child works, Bianca Patel, said they were "deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Malia," and was "offering support services to the family." Both dogs were taken into custody by Johnston County Animal Services. The director, Chad Massengill, confirmed the dogs have been declared dangerous by the county. "It's very solemn around here this morning," he said. "It's very difficult to deal with."

A 2019 Facebook post by Patel shows that the rottweilers had escaped the family's yard in the past. Presumably, Abbi and Joker are the two rottweilers. "Joker," the dog wearing the red collar, "likes to dig," Patel stated. "There is an electric fence but it was not plugged in at the time," Patel wrote. Both rottweilers are "fixed" and "with papers," according to the post. That did not stop the rottweilers from roaming. Sterilization also plays no role in altering breed-specific behaviors.

"Code Blue" Call

Audio dispatch logs from Johnston County Public Safety reveal the call came in as a "code blue." Recall they are responding to the home of a Johnston County Emergency Services employee. Since the 1980s, rottweilers have been the second top killing dog breed in the U.S. This is why we created the fatal rottweiler attack archive. Rottweilers consistently show just how dangerous they are, particularly to young children. There were no recorded fatal rottweiler attacks in 2020.

One or both family rottweilers seen at different times before the fatal attack on Tuesday.

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

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Colleen Lynn

Former Owner of Rescue Pit Bull Shares Story After Unprovoked Attack: 'Still Very Shaken' by the Experience

The former owner of a rescue pit bull shares story of an unprovoked attack.

Atlanta, GA - The former owner of a rescue pit bull recently wrote into our nonprofit and shared a powerful story with us. This individual is "still dismantling the beliefs I previously held about these dogs." Beliefs this person learned by "networking with other pit bull owners." This person did not expect the level of "fear, regret and guilt I would feel when the attack happened." This former owner is still very shaken by the experience and will never own a rescue dog again as a result.

This individual also comments about how many shelters adopt out pit bull-mixes under the "mixed-breed" label to "unsuspecting adopters." In January, we published a letter from a person who once worked at an open intake shelter. That letter also discussed the deliberate mislabeling of pit bulls and their mixes by shelter staff, along with adopting these dogs out to homes with unprepared adopters. An unsuspecting adopter of a pit bull-type dog is equivalent to an unprepared adopter.

I used to be a pit bull advocate. We adopted a pit bull puppy who was adorable and sweet with absolutely no background of abuse. She was rescued at 5 weeks along with her mom and litter mates. She was not separated from her mom too young. We gave this puppy the perfect life. At that point, I believed the lies put forth by pit bull advocates. I felt like you had to teach these dogs to be aggressive and they weren’t born this way.

Well, in January 2021, my dog attacked a man for no good reason at all. He was doing nothing strange. He wasn’t talking. He was standing still. By the grace of God, this man was able to mitigate the attack by holding her leash away from his body. My dog tore through his shirt and he was left with bruises and an abrasion. I didn’t witness the attack in full because I had fallen when my dog pulled so I was trying to get up when part of the attack was taking place. Once I grabbed her, I immediately took her to the vet to be put down.

I’m still in the process of mentally healing from this situation. I can’t wrap my brain around the fact that this was my dog that I loved and this dog had the perfect life, yet still became an attack dog. I’m still dismantling the beliefs I previously held about these dogs that they’re not inherently dangerous. I learned and adopted these beliefs through networking with other pit bull owners.

Since we adopted her, I had heard about numerous other pit bulls getting into fights and hurting other dogs so we decided to get a very strong insurance policy to protect a potential victim. I researched dog bites and knew how expensive they could be. I did not expect the level of fear, regret and guilt I would feel when the attack happened. I’m plagued daily by considering what could have happened and how bad it could have been.

So, although I know sweet pit bulls, I tell people to absolutely believe this breed is dangerous. If someone were to own a pit bull, they’d need to be an expert behaviorist to keep the dog in-line, although I still would advise anyone to avoid this breed. One thing that scares me is that most shelter dogs in Georgia are pit bulls or pit bull mixes. A lot of shelters adopt them out as mixed-breeds to unsuspecting adopters. I’m so sad to say I will never own another rescue dog. The chance of getting a pit mix is too high.

I appreciate what your organization is doing to educate and safeguard the public … I’m still very shaken by my experience.

We also directed this individual to the letter submitted by the former open intake shelter worker. This person had worked with four trainers in Atlanta, who basically pointed back the blame finger instead of being honest. This was a "project dog" with impulsive aggression, despite being adopted as a young puppy into a loving home. Further, when the person tried to return the dog to the rescue, "they said they absolutely would not take on a dog with a known bite history."

This article is 100% true and spot on. My dog was spayed and was actually much smaller than most pits at 50 lbs. Maybe that’s why the man was able to defend himself. We had worked with 4 trainers who all said she was submissive and it was basically our fault we couldn’t make her into a normal dog. She was my 1st dog so I believed them. Since then we’ve adopted a wonderful pure breed dog (non pit bull-type) from a breeder and guess what? It turns out I’m not an idiot as it relates to training a dog. My pit bull was a problem dog. When the attack happened, I asked the rescue if they wanted her back and they said they absolutely would not take on a dog with a known bite history. They said there was no where for her to go where she wouldn’t be a danger to others. We immediately put her down after we got off the phone with the rescue.

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The Baby's Parents Work in Law Enforcement and EMS