Christian Moreno: Texas dog owner, 31, arrested after his two pit bulls maul elderly man, 81, to death and injure his wife
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: A Texas man has been arrested after his two pit bulls attacked an elderly couple, killing one and badly injuring another. Christian Alexander Moreno, 31, was charged with 'attack by a dangerous dog causing death and injury to an elderly person, both felonies as per the San Antonio Police Department press release
The victim of the dog attack has been identified as Ramon Najeras, 81. The attack occurred along the 2800 block of Depla Street, on the city's west side where Najeras and his wife, 74, were visiting friends.
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Dogs were still actively attacking the couple
As they got out of their car, two American Staffordshire Terriers escaped their yard and attack the couple, police said. Soon after the attack, witnesses called the police and EMS. When the San Antonio Fire Department arrived on the scene, "the dogs still actively attacking the couple and attempted to intervene," the police said. An EMS captain was bitten in the leg during the attempted rescue.
The bloody scene firefighters witnessed
San Antonio Fire Department crews responding to the scene observed the man "being dragged by a dog (and) completely bloody before they got off the fire truck," Chief Charles Hood said. Firefighters began to fight off the dogs with pipes and pick axes as the emergency evolved into a rescue situation, Hood added. All three were transported to a local hospital where Najeras died due to injuries received in the dog attack. Bexar County records show that Moreno’s bond for the two charges totaled $125,000.
'This is not something that is normal for us'
San Antonio Animal Care Services stated on Saturday that the canines involved in the incident will both be put down. A third dog that was present but not involved will also be euthanized, Daily Mail reported. "This is not something that is normal for us. We don't normally have to defend patients from animals or ourselves. The firefighters in this instance were very heroic fighting off these pit bulls with pickaxes and pipes to try and get to the patients," Hood said.
Hood said, "It has been a horrific scene and horrific experience for everyone involved including firefighters which was essentially a rescue to save themselves." He added the entire experience had likely "emotionally scarred" the firefighters involved. "Nobody expects to go out and fight dogs in a situation like they did today," he said.
Shannon Wade Sims, Director of Animal Care Services as per a report, said, Neighbors had reported bites occurring in the past with multiple calls to the city's 311 complaint line. The dogs had been previously impounded for a "mild bite" in 2021.