Pit bulls killed an elderly man and injured three other people in San Antonio, Texas. The owner of the dogs has been detained and charged with two crimes.
The San Antonio Police Department’s Covert Unit detained Christian Alexander Moreno, 31, of San Antonio, on Friday night, according to a statement from the SAPD.
According to the SAPD, Moreno is accused of two felonies: attack by a dangerous dog causing death and damage to an elderly person.
According to online court documents, he is being held under a $50,000 bond for the injury to an elderly person charge and a $75,000 bond for the assault by a dangerous dog that resulted in death.
He was still being held as of Monday, according to a spokeswoman from the Bexar County Adult Detention Center.
The victim who died in the attack and his wife, who was seriously hurt, were not officially identified by the police. Ramon Najera, 81, was the victim, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiner, KSAT reported.
Also, his relatives listed him on social media and in a GoFundMe established to assist with funeral expenses.
Carlos Gomez, Najera’s stepson, commented on Facebook, “I’m still trying to grasp how this could happen.”
Najera, a San Antonio native and former member of the U.S. Air Force, and his wife, Juanita Najera, 74, were visiting a friend in the 2800 block of Depla Street on Friday afternoon when the horrifying incident occurred.
According to an arrest affidavit, KSAT, KABB, and the Animal 24-7 report, the person they were intended to see wasn’t there when they arrived at the house.
The dogs apparently approached them as they were heading back to their car.
The SAPD reported that two American Staffordshire Terriers next to the house the couple was visiting had escaped from their fenced-in yard.
According to the arrest document, Najera “observed two dogs attacking her spouse” as she drew close to the car, according to KSAT.
According to the affidavit, she tried to assist him but was hurt, KSAT reported.
But Ramon Najera, according to Juanita Najera’s son Carlos Gomez, “was trying to prevent my mom from being attacked,” in a sorrowful Facebook post.
He claimed that his brave stepfather “gave his life while defending my mom,” who was hurt in the assault.
According to Animals 24-7, Silvia Hernandez allegedly recorded the dogs “circling” Najera as she was lying face down on the ground.
According to an arrest affidavit, a quick-thinking bystander urgently sought to remove the dogs from Najera, who had been tossed to the ground, as witnesses dialed 911, KSAT reports.
The affidavit claims that the onlooker was ultimately attacked by the dogs.
According to a photo shot by Hernandez, the onlooker also hosed the dogs to try to convince them to leave Najera alone, according to Animal 24-7.
After arriving on the scene, San Antonio Fire Department EMS personnel attempted to drive the dogs away using pickaxes and pick poles.
Charles Hood, the chief of SAFD, told KSAT that “this is not anything regular for us.” We don’t usually arrive and have to protect patients from other humans or animals.
The Najeras were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of their wounds, along with an EMS Captain who was injured while attempting to halt the attack. Ramon perished as a result of the dog’s assaults, in spite of the valiant attempts by SAFD EMS to save him.
“Terrible scene,” terrible for those who witnessed it and terrible for our firefighters who took part in it, added Hood.
Ramon was violently attacked by the dogs as he lay on the ground, according to a video that Hernandez claimed to have captured the attack. According to Hernandez on Facebook, the video has already been removed “out of respect for the family.”
According to KENS 5, Moreno brought the dogs inside when he got home. Later, the canines were taken into custody by Animal Control Services.
Supposed History of Violence
According to an arrest document and the KSAT and KENS 5 reports, Moreno allegedly refused to return the dogs to Animal Care Services even though Moreno’s wife claimed she saw the dogs as hostile at some point before the incident.
The SAPD stated in a press release that information discovered after a preliminary examination into the attack indicates that the SAPD responded to a prior incident with the dogs in November.
The owner of the property was informed that the dogs had to remain on the premises during that visit. According to the press statement, at least two of the canines were also connected to two further confirmed bite incidents that occurred in January and September 2021.
Hernandez told Animal 24-7, “We need to imprison these people and have a better system for these abused animals.”
In a press release, San Antonio Animal Care Services stated that they had located three dogs that belonged to the house where the attack occurred.
Friday night saw the euthanasia of all three.
The preliminary hearing for Moreno is set for March 28, 2023, in court. It is unknown whether he has admitted guilt to the allegations or has appointed a lawyer who can speak for him.
Ramon’s family is grieving his passing as Moreno waits for his court appearance.
Gomez, his stepson, remarked on Facebook, “My stepdad was a powerful man, stronger than a few of us put together.”
“Even though he had to go to dialysis, unless he told you, you wouldn’t know he was getting this done.” They had stopped at a seamstress since he was preparing to resume work at his security job.
“These canines violently attacked them while my stepdad was getting work done on his uniform.”
“Our beloved grandparents, Ramon and Janie Najera, were cruelly mauled by two dogs on the west side of San Antonio,” the couple’s grandkids said in the fundraiser.
“Our grandfather was killed in this fatal incident, and our grandmother is in critical condition. We are requesting family, friends, and loved ones for any donations that can help cover medical and burial expenses while she recovers and heals from this tragedy. Ramon was a native San Antonian, a former member of the US Air Force, and a devoted husband and father.
“Despite being newly started on dialysis, he was determined to live life to the utmost.” We want to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who can help the family during this trying time.