Lance Corporal Brennan Michael Listle, 20, was charged Friday by Onslow County Sheriff's Office with child abuse causing serious bodily injury and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile by neglect. Deputies said he was hanging out and smoking cigarettes on the front porch while the boy was attacked.
Deputies said Listle told his 22-month-old son to go play out back in a fenced-in yard. That is when deputies said the seven-month-old pit bull, a dog the family recently purchased, lunged at the toddler, locking onto his throat.
"You just cannot be smoking cigarettes out in front of your residence, with a couple other Marines from his company and just say, 'Go play in the backyard,'" said Detective Sergeant John Getty. "This parent needs to learn by his mistake."
The child was taken to the Naval Hospital aboard Camp Lejeune then to Pitt County Memorial Hospital. Brennan Junior underwent two surgeries for his injuries which included neck fractures of the cervical spine, which was a fracture in two of the seven bones (Vertebrae C6 and C7) in the neck cervical region.
NewsChannel 12 spoke with Listle briefly on Friday evening. The father said he was not ready to comment on the case, but did say doctors recently told he and his wife (who is pregnant again), Brennan Junior is recovering well and should not need further skin grafting.
A family friend told NewsChannel 12 Listle was has been by his son's side since the incident until Friday morning. That is when deputies said Listle was arrested, then released to his command.
"I even had my child around the dog and he was very interactive, very loving, let the kids pet him," said the Listle's roommate, Jared Calabro.
As for his friend's parenting, the young man said, " I would trust him with my own kid, that's how much I would trust him around children."
Listle is scheduled to be in court on Monday.
(WCTI - Feb 4, 2011)
