Edwart Hirt and Marijana Simiceric-Martin were ordered to pay $353 in fines and court costs after entering into the plea agreement in Rocky River Municipal Court last Thursday. The agreement required no contest pleas to dog at large charges and dropping their appeal of Bay Village Police Chief Mark Spaetzel’s recommendation the two pit bulls be euthanized.
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| "It grabbed her lower half and was pulling down on the dog or just actually his weight pulling down as he grabbed Charlotte. It was pulling me down as well, and then the other pit bull jumped on me." |
Spaetzel based his recommendation on the two pit bulls’ continued aggressive behavior even after being taken into custody by the Cuyahoga County Animal Warden after an investigation of the Aug. 20 incident.
Gary Ebert, Bay Village’s interim mayor and law director, said the sentence was the best possible given the circumstances.
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| The pit bulls live right across the street where that car is parked. In an instant, they were on Charlotte's property and killing her |
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| Pointing at the spot where little Charlotte was attacked and killed in her own yard |
“It was the best possible under the old laws governing this type of incident,” he said.
Hirt and his attorney did not return calls for comment on the verdict or the incident.
Safety officials said the charges stem from an incident in which the two dogs ran out of a Pellett Drive home and attacked Thomas Moran and his dog, Charlotte, while they were walking. Charlotte died from injuries suffered in the attack.
Moran and his son-in-law were both bitten while trying in vain to save Charlotte.
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| "Thomas had blood all over his shirt and little Charlotte was bleeding profusely out of her back, the whole back of her body was ripped open." |
OWNERS HAVE HISTORY OF OWNING VICIOUS PIT BULLS
After the incident, angry citizens met with Bay Village officials twice and also attended Bay Village City Council meetings demanding action.
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| The house where Edwart Hirt and Marijana Simiceric-Martin maintain vicious pit bulls |
Many noted that in 2015 another pit bull had come out of the Pellet Drive home and attacked and severely injured another smaller dog. That pit bull was also confiscated by safety officials.
In addition, when Bay Village officers were doing a child welfare check several weeks ago at the Pellett Drive home, they found another pit bull in the home, Spaetzel said.
Since then, Bay Village City Council has passed revisions to its animal control laws which toughen the penalties for animals which attack and either severely injure or kill a domestic animal or a person. The tougher penalties provide an escalating scale of fines and possible jail time for repeat offenses which can be imposed on the owner of the attacking dog.
“With the tougher laws, it’s easier for the city to deal with these types of offenses,” Ebert said. “And City Council and the administration are continuing to review the laws and take other steps to deal with these types of issues.”
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| Police Chief Mark Spaetzel |
Ebert said the city is also moving ahead with bringing back a part-time animal control officer for the city. He said job criteria for the position have been developed and Bay Village City Council will set aside money for the position in its budget. Bay Village’s last animal control officer position was cut several years ago as the city tried to cope with the economic effects of the Great Recession.
Ebert said interviewing for the new animal control position should begin shortly.
(North Coast Now - Oct 27, 2016)
Earlier:
- Ohio: Pit bulls kill smaller dog, angry Bay residents want laws strengthened
- Remember when Ohio repealed their pit bull law? Good job, Ohio. It's your fault Charlotte is dead.
- Ohio: Charlotte was ripped apart by pit bulls. The daughter of the pit bull's owner gets into a name-calling battle with concerned neighbors.
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