Florida: Cape Coral woman Kristina Pantalias, 30, pleads in 'bizarre' abduction, dog bite case

FLORIDA -- A bizarre case of a child being abducted then mauled by a dog ended when the suspect unexpectedly made a plea in court Wednesday.

Kristina Pantalias, 30, pleaded guilty to eight charges, including counts of child abuse and drug possession and agreed to 5 years and 10 months in prison with eight years of probation.

Pantalias arrested back in May 2015 after "stealing a car, abducting her niece and nephew, and taking them to an apartment in Fort Myers where her niece was mauled by a dog," according to the Cape Coral Police Department.

Police say the girl suffered multiple cuts and deep puncture wounds to both sides of her face, which required multiple stitches.

Authorities say a caller informed police that Pantalias stole a car in Fort Myers to take the children from their Cape Coral home on SE 15th place.

Pantalias was described to police as "high on meth" and took the kids to a "drug-apartment," the caller told police.

Fort Myers and Cape police officers determined the apartment's location, Hilton House Apartments, 2079 Cleveland Avenue, and found Pantalias with one of the kids outside apartment 23. Through the window, police could see a purse and bloody towels on the floor corroborating the child's dog-bite injuries.

The caller contacted police again and said Pantalias hid drugs in one of the kids' pants. The officers at the apartment with Pantalias received the information and indeed found drugs in the child's pockets.

The items included 2 baggies of heroin, 2 methadone pills and suboxone in tinfoil.

Her case was scheduled for trial February, but was pushed back days after a substitution of counsel order was filed, according to court records.

She pleaded to the following charges: grand theft, aggravated child neglect, child abuse, two counts of interference with custody, possession of heroin and two other drug possession charges.

Pantalias has been incarcerated at the Lee County Jail since her arrest on May 12, 2015.

Lee County records show Pantalias has been arrested 13 times dating to 2010. Most arrests are drug possession charges, including some loitering, and larceny charges.

Detectives said that the children are both doing well, though the child mauled by dog is still getting medical treatment for her injuries.

(The News-Press - June 9, 2016)

Earlier:

• Florida: Six year-old girl mauled by dog after being kidnapped by aunt

Name: Kristina Pantalias
DOB: 06/30/1985
Address: 2811 102 15th Pl, Cape Coral FL 33904
Charges:

• Kidnap minor (confine child under 13 w/o consent of parent)
• Kidnap minor (confine child under 13 w/o consent of parent)
• Larceny (grand theft 300 less than 5k dols)