Katherine L. McSweyn, 28, was scheduled to appear for a pretrial conference before Bay County District Judge Mark E. Janer on Friday, Feb. 17. But she did not appear, prompting Janer to issue a bench warrant for her arrest.
Those charges stem from an incident that happened July 15 in the 200 block of North Jackson Street, a few doors down from McSweyn's home. A 7-year-old boy had been bitten by a pit bull McSweyn owned named Polor, police reports state.
The boy's mother told police she and her kids were outside when she saw Polor crossing the street. Her kids were riding their bikes and she was trying to gather them inside when she saw the dog, she said.
"As soon as (the boy) got off his bike the dog jumped up and bit him," the mother said. "Then when he turned around to come inside, the dog grabbed his leg from behind."
The boy had three small wounds, the police reports state. Although an ambulance responded, the boy's family took him to a hospital themselves.
McSweyn told police she bought the Pit Bull from a friend and that he is about a year old.
Why is she buying a Pit Bull 'from a friend' when she is claiming to be destitute with a seriously ill child - as well as two other children and is a "single mom"??? Checklist: #1 - Get tubes tied. #2 - Don't buy Pit Bull.
She is all over the news in Michigan trying to raise $10,000 for her child's surgery and yet she goes out and buys a Pit Bull? Seriously who BUYS a Pit Bull??? Go one craigslist and you can get a puppy - of any mixed breed - for FREE. Yet she's paying for a Pit Bull? Something is not right with this story...
Polor took off down the street, she said.
"He went up and, like, put his front feet on the kid's shoulders, then he bit the kid in the face," McSweyn told police, according to their reports.
She added Polor actually ran into her neighbor's house and she had to go in to get him out.
An Animal Control officer took Polor to the shelter and he was quarantined for 10 days, as is standard procedure. McSweyn signed away ownership rights to Polor the same day.
Polor has since been euthanized, McSweyn said at her arraignment.
Authorities in January issued another warrant for McSweyn on a second count of having a dog that attacked or bit a person. Court documents indicate this charge stems from an incident that happened May 4, predating the occurrence of the 7-year-old being bitten.
Records state the May incident also happened in the 200 block of North Jackson Street and involved Polor, but do not elaborate on who was bitten.
(MLive - February 21, 2017)
