A 47-year-old man is in police custody after his seven dogs fatally attacked a 71-year-old man in Fresno, Texas, on Monday, police said.
Police arrested and charged Samuel Cartwright with attack by dog resulting in death — a second-degree felony in Texas — after his pit bull mixes allegedly mauled Freddy Garcia in an unprovoked attack as Garcia walked to a neighborhood store in Fresno, an unincorporated community about 20 miles south of Houston, at about 1:30 p.m., according to the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
Emergency responders transported Garcia by helicopter to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in downtown Houston, where he was later pronounced dead, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news conference earlier last week.
A subsequent investigation conducted by the Sheriff’s Office, Fort Bend Animal Control and the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office identified Cartwright as the owner of the dogs; sheriff’s deputies and Animal Control officers had captured all seven dogs by Tuesday, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Cartwright is in custody at the Fort Bend County Jail and his bond has been set at $100,000.
“This devastating tragedy didn’t have to happen,” Sheriff Eric Fagan said in a statement. “I extend my deepest condolences to the Garcia family and his neighbors as they adjust to the loss of Mr. Garcia.”
Garcia’s family members described him to local ABC affiliate ABC 13 as “youthful, “full of life” and “really joyful,” adding that he loved to dance and sing.
In the wake of the attack, officials urged local residents to take responsibility for their dogs.
“If you have a dangerous dog, it is your responsibility to keep that dog secure, to keep the members in our community safe,” said District Attorney Brian Middleton in a news conference earlier this week.
“I can tell you, as district attorney, if you fail to do that, you will be held accountable,” Middleton said, pointing to a 2007 Texas law that holds dog owners responsible for attacks if they act with “criminal negligence” by failing to secure the dog or “knows the dog is a dangerous dog.”
Under the law, Cartwright could face two to 20 years in prison and be forced to pay a $10,000 fine, Middleton said at the news conference.
“If you own an animal that you know could, may possibly bite, please — the law states, the animal should be either on a leash, the animal should be within the fence, it’s about having physical control,” Rene Vasquez, director of Fort Bend County Animal Services, said at the news conference.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
