Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Dominican Republic: Lorenzo Fortunato, 53, mauled to death by two pit bulls

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC -- A 53-year-old farmworker was killed by two pit bulls that escaped from their enclosure in Villa Mella, a community in Santo Domingo Norte, Dominican police said, adding that the dogs’ owner and handler were arrested.

Lorenzo Fortunato died from multiple bite wounds, police said.

Kelvin Espejo, who owned the dogs, and Nelson Nolasco Pascual, the animals’ handler, were arrested Monday and turned over to prosecutors in Santo Domingo.

The pitbulls escaped from a ranch owned by Espejo and attacked Fortunato, a neighbor, as he and another man were clearing a nearby lot. The other man managed to get away from the dogs.

Initial indications are that Nolasco Pascual unchained the dogs, allowing them to get loose, police said. EFE

(Latin American Herald Tribune - April 20, 2010)