Forty-one donors had given a total of $1,601 with a goal of reaching $10,000 to benefit Israel Costilla, according to a screenshot taken of the page while the account was still active.
WHAT'S GOING ON?
The GoFundMe campaign for Israel was created by Shannon Jolene Carpenter on Jan. 6.
"I set up this GoFundMe page to help with the Medical Bills, Counseling and I would like to purchase toys so he can be showered with LOVE!!!!!" Carpenter wrote on the introduction page.
Carpenter, who did not know the Costilla family personally, launched the campaign after seeing Israel's injuries in a photo provided by Rayetta Trigg. Trigg, whose pit bull attacked Israel, is a former roommate of Carpenter.
"When (Trigg) let me see the picture I literally almost fell off of my stool. I showed the picture to my husband and friend Adam and they were shocked as well."
In a statement on the GoFundMe page, Carpenter noted all donations would go "directly to (Israel's) well being and help the parents with any extra costs they may have due this tragic event."
On Jan. 13, Andi Costilla — Israel's mother — contacted representatives with GoFundMe and requested the campaign be deactivated. Prior to reaching out to GoFundMe, she also sent Carpenter a text message citing personal reasons to delete the page.
"I shut the page down immediately once I got that text from (Andi)," Carpenter said.
GoFundMe's official position in personal disputes between campaign organizers and their intended beneficiaries is "not to get involved."
However, "if any questions arise, our team will hold the funds unless the beneficiary is verified to our satisfaction," a GoFundMe official said in an email. "This layer of protection ensures that funds go only into the right hands."
The official stressed that "the platform is backed by the GoFundMe Guarantee, which means funds are guaranteed to go to the right place or they will get a refund."
It was unclear Thursday when the campaign might be reactivated.
THE ATTACK
Israel Costilla was mauled by a pit bull named Trouble on Dec. 9 after the boy entered a home shared by his great aunt, Lisa Peden, and her then-roommate, Rayetta Trigg — the pit bull’s owner.
Costilla's injuries were gruesome.
“It looked like part of the child’s face had been chewed off completely,” Green said during a Jan. 11 court hearing, which ultimately concluded in a ruling that the pit bull be euthanized and Trigg pay restitution to the family.
“(Israel) ended up getting 300 stitches,” said Ana Costilla, Israel’s grandmother. “He’s had two surgeries since, and he’s going to have to have more facial reconstruction done and dental work."
(Standard Times - January 19, 2018)
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