Dog owner arrested after pit bulls attack elderly woman

TEXAS -- On March 10 at approximately 10:15am, officers from the Marshall Police Department Criminal Investigation Bureau and the MPD Patrol Bureau located and arrested Theodore George Jones at Motel 6 in Marshall, Texas. Jones had an outstanding felony arrest warrant stemming from an incident that occurred on February 9th.  Jones was identified and placed under arrest without incident.

On February 9th at 8:45 am, 83 year old retired educator Sarah Harper was attacked in her front yard by two pit bulls in the 2900 block of Evans St.

The attack was interrupted by Trent Sparks, a passerby who came to Harper’s aid and called 911 for assistance.  Harper was rushed to the hospital by Marshall FD EMS. She remains in ICU while she recovers.

An investigation revealed that the two dogs were owned by Theodore Jones and that he had left them unattended and loose in his yard. The Texas Health and Safety Code Section 822.005 (Attack by Dog) states that an individual may be held criminally responsible if the individual is negligent and fails to secure a dog and the dog makes an unprovoked attack on another person resulting in serious bodily injury.

An arrest warrant was issued for Jones on February 26th and MPD has been looking for him since then. The dogs involved in the mauling were seized by Marshall Animal Control and subsequently euthanized.

“The citizens of Marshall need to be aware of the serious responsibility that goes along with dog ownership. It is crucial that dog owners take the necessary steps to prevent unfortunate incidents like this,” MPD Chief Jesus Eddie Campa cautioned, “The Marshall Police Department takes these situations very seriously and will thoroughly investigate them when they occur.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Ms. Harper and her family. We are hopeful she has a full and speedy recovery,” Chief Campa concluded.

(KTAL - March 12, 2015)