ILLINOIS -- A 16-year-old Justice boy who allegedly ordered two pit bull terriers to attack a 10-year-old neighbor girl had been "feuding" with the girl`s parents for several years and had been reported to police for harassing the family, police in the southwest suburb said Monday.
The family and the boy "have had persistent problems," Justice Police Cpl. Steven Kooper said. "They were feuding. They had been fighting for some time."
The family and the boy's family live across 79th Avenue from each other, and the Sunday afternoon dog attack occurred about 50 yards from their two homes, police said.
Kooper testified at a hearing Monday in Cook County Juvenile Court that the boy had denied ordering the dogs to attack, saying the dogs got loose accidentally while he was walking them. The dogs belonged to friends of the boy`s family, police said.
The girl, Brandy Hopper, underwent 2-1/2 hours of surgery Sunday night at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn to repair damage from the mauling. She was listed in good condition Monday, hospital officials said.
The dogs chewed out a 3-by-6-inch section of the girl's left thigh, the girl's parents and police said, and left deep bite marks in her right thigh.
A plastic surgeon sewed some of the torn flesh on the girl's left thigh back into place, the girl's mother, Sandra Merkle, said. But Merkle said her daughter may need skin grafts.
"It was such a big rip. It's like the shape of that dog's jaw," she said.
Justice police said Monday that they have responded to frequent complaints that the boy had harassed the family and threatened Brandy`s siblings.
Merkle said the boy's actions were unprovoked. "He's just a neighborhood punk," she said. "He does it all over town. His parents know we've been fighting."
At the Monday court appearance, testimony showed that the boy has an extensive criminal record for theft, burglary and criminal damage to property dating back to age 11.
Also in court, Kooper said Justice police have documented problems between the boy and the family for at least five years.
The boy was charged Sunday with aggravated battery for allegedly ordering the dogs to attack Brandy. Police said witnesses, including Merkle, heard the boy shout "sic her" to the dogs and saw him drop the two leashes on which he was holding the animals when he saw Brandy approaching.
Brandy was returning home with groceries she had bought at a neighborhood store, said her stepfather, Rusty Merkle.
Associate Judge Charles Barish ordered the boy held in the Juvenile Detention Center at least until Friday, when he is to appear with a lawyer. State`s attorneys argued that the boy should be held because of the brutality of the attack.
The owners of the dogs, Jerry and Kimberly Roth, of Bridgeview, have been charged with obstruction of justice, a misdemeanor, for allegedly disobeying police orders by taking the dogs into their house after the attack and allowing the boy to hide there, Kooper said.
Kooper said the Roths told police that they had given the boy, a family friend, permission to walk the dogs Sunday afternoon. The Roths live about three blocks from where the attack occurred.
Relatives of the Roths said Monday that the couple was declining to comment about the incident.
The dogs are being held at the Animal Welfare League in Chicago Ridge. Allen Glisch, the manager there, said the dogs were being watched for signs of rabies.
(Chicago Tribune - November 10, 1987)
Wednesday, November 11, 1987
Tuesday, October 13, 1987
Ohio: Woman says Dr. William G. Eckman was visiting prostitute Joetta Darmstadter when he was mauled to death by her two Pit Bulls
OHIO -- A woman who found the wallet of a man mauled to death by two pit bull dogs testified Monday that it contained the telephone number of a prostitute he was visiting the day he died.
The admitted prostitute, Joetta Darmstadter (aka Joetta Barrios), 32, and her housemate and the dogs' co-owner, Wilbur Rutledge, 34, are on trial on charges of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Dr. William G. Eckman, 67.
Prosecutors were expected to wrap up their case late Monday or early Tuesday. They have been barred by Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Robert M. Brown from presenting animal behavior experts who tested the dogs after the attack and found them to be vicious.
Brown also has prohibited prosecutors and defense lawyers from talking about the trial.
LaDonna Donovan testified that Eckman, of suburban Kettering, had moved in with her and her three children. She said she found his wallet in the trunk of his car about a month after the April 6 attack.
Tucked behind the lining was a piece of paper with ''Joe 275-6555'' written on it, she said. There was no money in the wallet, she said, although bank records show Eckman had withdrawn $25 shortly before the attack.
Ms. Donovan said she called the number. ''I asked if Joetta was there and the lady that answered the phone said, 'This is Joetta.' And then I hung up,'' she said.
Prosecutors are trying to show that Ms. Darmstadter and Rutledge knew the dogs were vicious before the attack and that Eckman was a regular customer of Ms. Darmstadter's and was in the house for sex when he was attacked.
Defense lawyers claim Eckman was told by Ms. Darmstadter to go away but slipped into the house and was attacked when he opened the door to a bedroom where the dogs had gone.
Ms. Donovan is the sole beneficiary of an estate she said was worth about $20,000 left by Eckman, a retired chief of staff at St. Elizabeth Medical Center and chief of surgery at the Dayton Veterans Administration Hospital.
She said she knew Eckman saw a psychiatrist and that before he lived with her he provided $13,000 over six weeks to a prostitute. Defense lawyer Daniel O'Brien said Eckman had given $500,000 to a prostitute before that.
Prosecutors have presented evidence that Eckman often withdrew from $25 to $100 from his bank account, although Ms. Donovan said she rarely saw him spend much money.
(AP - Oct 12, 1987)
Earlier:
The admitted prostitute, Joetta Darmstadter (aka Joetta Barrios), 32, and her housemate and the dogs' co-owner, Wilbur Rutledge, 34, are on trial on charges of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Dr. William G. Eckman, 67.
Prosecutors were expected to wrap up their case late Monday or early Tuesday. They have been barred by Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Robert M. Brown from presenting animal behavior experts who tested the dogs after the attack and found them to be vicious.
LaDonna Donovan testified that Eckman, of suburban Kettering, had moved in with her and her three children. She said she found his wallet in the trunk of his car about a month after the April 6 attack.
Tucked behind the lining was a piece of paper with ''Joe 275-6555'' written on it, she said. There was no money in the wallet, she said, although bank records show Eckman had withdrawn $25 shortly before the attack.
Ms. Donovan said she called the number. ''I asked if Joetta was there and the lady that answered the phone said, 'This is Joetta.' And then I hung up,'' she said.
Prosecutors are trying to show that Ms. Darmstadter and Rutledge knew the dogs were vicious before the attack and that Eckman was a regular customer of Ms. Darmstadter's and was in the house for sex when he was attacked.
Defense lawyers claim Eckman was told by Ms. Darmstadter to go away but slipped into the house and was attacked when he opened the door to a bedroom where the dogs had gone.
Ms. Donovan is the sole beneficiary of an estate she said was worth about $20,000 left by Eckman, a retired chief of staff at St. Elizabeth Medical Center and chief of surgery at the Dayton Veterans Administration Hospital.
She said she knew Eckman saw a psychiatrist and that before he lived with her he provided $13,000 over six weeks to a prostitute. Defense lawyer Daniel O'Brien said Eckman had given $500,000 to a prostitute before that.
Prosecutors have presented evidence that Eckman often withdrew from $25 to $100 from his bank account, although Ms. Donovan said she rarely saw him spend much money.
From the book "Pit Bull: The Battle over
an American Icon" by Bronwen Dickey
(AP - Oct 12, 1987)
Earlier:
Tuesday, October 6, 1987
Florida: Vikki Kittles making a joke out of her animal cruelty criminal case, demanding new judge and public defender.
FLORIDA -- Vikki Rene Kittles, who faces assault and animal abuse charges, on Monday persuaded Broward County Court Judge Leonard Stafford to remove himself from the abuse case and to appoint a new lawyer.
Vikki Rene Kittles (also known as Susan Dietrich, Rene Depenbrock, and Lynn Zellan), 40, told Stafford during a hearing on the misdemeanor animal abuse charges that she had problems being represented by the Public Defender`s Office, and said, "I`m having a problem with you as well."
She also filed several motions on her own behalf, one seeking a written explanation why she needed a psychological evaluation, and others asserting her rights to counsel and to being present at all hearings.
Kittles was arrested in May 1985 on charges of keeping two horses, three cats and 37 dogs in her Wilton Manors home. She also faces the assault felony charge for threatening a neighbor with a gun, police said.
Stafford said he had planned to consolidate the charges so Kittles would be represented by one lawyer in one courtroom.
But after hearing her concerns, Stafford appointed Bernard Canarick, a Plantation lawyer, to represent Kittles on the misdemeanor charges.
The felony charge, scheduled before Circuit Judge Russell Seay, will be heard separately.
Stafford also removed himself from the abuse case, saying that "everybody is entitled to one change." A different County Court judge will hear the case.
Meanwhile, Broward Sheriff`s Detective Sandy Wise said the office continued to search for Kittles` mother, Jean Sullivan, who is in her 70s.
Wise said authorities do not know what happened to Sullivan because she left Broward County in 1985 when Kittles fled after being arrested on the charges of keeping the animals in her home. Kittles never showed up for a court hearing on those charges.
Broward deputies launched a search after a missing persons report was filed on Sept. 19 by a private investigator hired by Sullivan`s daughter-in-law.
Kittles was arrested on Sept. 4 by Manatee County sheriff`s deputies on a warrant issued by Broward authorities. She was living in a van in Ellenton, a small town near Bradenton, with about 40 cats and dogs. Sullivan was not with her.
Law enforcement officials are concerned because Kittles` neighbors in Manatee County reported seeing an elderly woman at Kittles` home in February, Wise said.
Kittles "wouldn`t say anything about her mother," Wise said.
(Sun Sentinel - October 6, 1987)
Vikki Rene Kittles (also known as Susan Dietrich, Rene Depenbrock, and Lynn Zellan), 40, told Stafford during a hearing on the misdemeanor animal abuse charges that she had problems being represented by the Public Defender`s Office, and said, "I`m having a problem with you as well."
She also filed several motions on her own behalf, one seeking a written explanation why she needed a psychological evaluation, and others asserting her rights to counsel and to being present at all hearings.
Kittles was arrested in May 1985 on charges of keeping two horses, three cats and 37 dogs in her Wilton Manors home. She also faces the assault felony charge for threatening a neighbor with a gun, police said.
Stafford said he had planned to consolidate the charges so Kittles would be represented by one lawyer in one courtroom.
But after hearing her concerns, Stafford appointed Bernard Canarick, a Plantation lawyer, to represent Kittles on the misdemeanor charges.
The felony charge, scheduled before Circuit Judge Russell Seay, will be heard separately.
Stafford also removed himself from the abuse case, saying that "everybody is entitled to one change." A different County Court judge will hear the case.
Meanwhile, Broward Sheriff`s Detective Sandy Wise said the office continued to search for Kittles` mother, Jean Sullivan, who is in her 70s.
Wise said authorities do not know what happened to Sullivan because she left Broward County in 1985 when Kittles fled after being arrested on the charges of keeping the animals in her home. Kittles never showed up for a court hearing on those charges.
Broward deputies launched a search after a missing persons report was filed on Sept. 19 by a private investigator hired by Sullivan`s daughter-in-law.
Kittles was arrested on Sept. 4 by Manatee County sheriff`s deputies on a warrant issued by Broward authorities. She was living in a van in Ellenton, a small town near Bradenton, with about 40 cats and dogs. Sullivan was not with her.
Law enforcement officials are concerned because Kittles` neighbors in Manatee County reported seeing an elderly woman at Kittles` home in February, Wise said.
Kittles "wouldn`t say anything about her mother," Wise said.
(Sun Sentinel - October 6, 1987)
Monday, September 7, 1987
Florida: Broward Fugitive Vikki Kittles Found In Animal-filled Van
FLORIDA -- Vikki Kittles, who disappeared months after being arrested in 1985 for having 42 animals in her Wilton Manors home, is in jail in Manatee County, officials said.
Vikki Rene Kittles (also known as Susan Dietrich, Rene Depenbrock, and Lynn Zellan), 40, was arrested on Friday night in Ellenton, a small town near Bradenton, where she had been living in "an extremely dilapidated junk van" with 35 to 40 cats and dogs, the Manatee County Sheriff`s Office said.
"Miss Kittles has lived in these conditions along with her elderly mother for quite a long time in order to prevent her discovery and arrest," Deputy Tom Shanafelt wrote in a report to a judge in Manatee County.
Jean Sullivan, Kittles' mother, who had left Wilton Manors with Kittles, still has not been found, deputies said. Her disappearance is under investigation.
"Miss Kittles' elderly mother has not been located, and Miss Kittles will not make any statements as to her whereabouts and/or well-being," Shanafelt wrote.
On Sunday, Kittles was being held in the Manatee County Jail without bond. She was arrested on outstanding warrants from Broward County of aggravated assault, improper exhibition of a dangerous weapon and battery, deputies said.
Manatee County officials said on Sunday that they had not received word from Broward County on when Kittles is to be transferred to Broward.
Detectives found Kittles about 11 p.m. Friday with help from a private investigator that Kittles' sister-in-law, Carol Kittles, hired.
Carol Kittles of Kendall was married to Vikki's brother, Rex, who died in March. She said she used money from a life insurance policy to hire the investigator to find her mother-in-law.
"My husband and I had wanted to (hire one) earlier, but were unable to. I decided to use the money to find his mother, since that was what he had wanted," she said.
Police have been looking for Vikki Kittles since late 1985, after she was arrested for failing to appear in court that September on a charge of animal cruelty. She arrived three hours late for her trial, minutes after Broward County Judge Irwin Berkowitz issued an arrest order for her.
She was then jailed on $2,000 bond. She also had failed to show up for her original trial date, Aug. 6.
Kittles was arrested on May 18, 1985, at her Wilton Manors home, where she had kept two horses, three cats and 37 dogs. Kittles also is accused of threatening a neighbor with a gun.
(Sun Sentinel - September 7, 1987)
Vikki Rene Kittles (also known as Susan Dietrich, Rene Depenbrock, and Lynn Zellan), 40, was arrested on Friday night in Ellenton, a small town near Bradenton, where she had been living in "an extremely dilapidated junk van" with 35 to 40 cats and dogs, the Manatee County Sheriff`s Office said.
"Miss Kittles has lived in these conditions along with her elderly mother for quite a long time in order to prevent her discovery and arrest," Deputy Tom Shanafelt wrote in a report to a judge in Manatee County.
Jean Sullivan, Kittles' mother, who had left Wilton Manors with Kittles, still has not been found, deputies said. Her disappearance is under investigation.
"Miss Kittles' elderly mother has not been located, and Miss Kittles will not make any statements as to her whereabouts and/or well-being," Shanafelt wrote.
On Sunday, Kittles was being held in the Manatee County Jail without bond. She was arrested on outstanding warrants from Broward County of aggravated assault, improper exhibition of a dangerous weapon and battery, deputies said.
Manatee County officials said on Sunday that they had not received word from Broward County on when Kittles is to be transferred to Broward.
Detectives found Kittles about 11 p.m. Friday with help from a private investigator that Kittles' sister-in-law, Carol Kittles, hired.
Carol Kittles of Kendall was married to Vikki's brother, Rex, who died in March. She said she used money from a life insurance policy to hire the investigator to find her mother-in-law.
"My husband and I had wanted to (hire one) earlier, but were unable to. I decided to use the money to find his mother, since that was what he had wanted," she said.
Police have been looking for Vikki Kittles since late 1985, after she was arrested for failing to appear in court that September on a charge of animal cruelty. She arrived three hours late for her trial, minutes after Broward County Judge Irwin Berkowitz issued an arrest order for her.
She was then jailed on $2,000 bond. She also had failed to show up for her original trial date, Aug. 6.
Kittles was arrested on May 18, 1985, at her Wilton Manors home, where she had kept two horses, three cats and 37 dogs. Kittles also is accused of threatening a neighbor with a gun.
(Sun Sentinel - September 7, 1987)
Wednesday, August 12, 1987
Oklahoma: Bill McAnally and six others were charged Tuesday in connection with seven horses that were raced to death
OKLAHOMA -- Claremore Horseman Bill McAnally and six others were charged Tuesday in connection with endurance races in which prosecutors allege participants gambled and rode seven horses to death.
The Rogers County charges came after a three-month investigation in four states that included dozens of witnesses, said Patrick Abitbol, first assistant district attorney.
"This case by far has captivated more attention than any other I've worked on," Abitbol said Tuesday.
Efforts to reach McAnally for comment Tuesday were unsuccessful. He did not respond to messages left at his business, a Catoosa backhoe and excavating equipment company.
Participants in the races near Catoosa allege McAnally urged entrants in his competition to run an all-out horse race in hot, humid weather along a Verdigris River trail.
The races, in distances of 15, 25, 50 and 100 miles, were organized by McAnally but were not sanctioned by the Catoosa Chamber of Commerce, Whiteley said. Estes said the race organizer pulled out of the event Friday, apparently because of dangerous heat and humidity.
The bodies of five horses, one of them buried along the race course, were found by authorities.
Carolyn Estes, spokeswoman for the sheriff's office, said an undersheriff looking into the case found the five dead horses on a trail along the Port of Catoosa channel.
Six other horses died after the race, Catoosa Mayor Terry Whitely said.
Estes said that if more than five horses died, "they were removed prior to our investigation." She added that authorities "may never know the actual number" that died.
McAnally is charged with seven counts of cruelty to animals. Both he and his wife, Paula McAnally, also are charged with unlawful betting on a race.
Five others charged with cruelty to animals allegedly were either riders or owners of seven horses that died.
The district attorney's decision to prosecute was welcomed Tuesday by an endurance ride organization that had pulled out of the races.
"I'm surprised and pleased they got the owners on it," said Darolyn Butler, a member of the American Endurance Ride Conference. "I really do hold McAnally responsible for most of this."
Butler had worked with McAnally to make the rides an AERC-sanctioned event. The AERC withdrew its sanction one day before the event after McAnally allegedly said the horses were to run without rest stops or veterinary control. Many of the participants whose horses died said the extreme heat was responsible for the collapse of their animals.
Bill Coghill of Broken Arrow, whose 4-year-old filly died after he pulled her out of the event, said in an earlier interview that the animal would have survived the run in normal weather.
"People are calling us "horse killers,' " Coghill said. "There's no way. I loved that horse."
One of the carcasses was sent to Oklahoma State University for necropsy. A pathology report showed the horse died of heat exhaustion and shock, Abitbol said.
The horse also had the diuretic Lasix in its system, said Bill Edwards, veterinary toxicologist with the university's Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.
The tests could not determine whether the drug had been administered before or after the race, Edwards said.
The drug is legal in Oklahoma but banned from state-sanctioned races, Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission investigator Benny Lovett said.
A report from the American Endurance Ride Conference, which withdrew its sanction the day before the races, cited allegations McAnally had told participants "to use Butazoliden (a stimulant) or whatever drugs would make their horses run fast."
Others named in the charges would not comment Tuesday.
Each of the seven animal cruelty counts against McAnally would carry up to a five-year prison term, or a one-year jail term and a maximum fine of $500 on conviction, Abitbol said.
Coghill, as an alleged rider of a horse that died, is charged with one animal cruelty count. Johnnie Lee Medders of Talihina, allegedly the owner or caretaker of two of the horses, is charged with two counts.
Jody Marcella Trotter of Kiefer, who allegedly rode one of the stricken horses and owned or took care of two, is charged with two animal cruelty counts.
Separate cruelty counts were filed against alleged riders Marty Douglas Bates of Claremore and William Schluneger of Broken Arrow.
The betting charge against the McAnallys stems from an alleged gambling auction before the race, Abitbol said. Conviction would carry up to a 10-year prison sentence and a maximum fine of $10,000, he said.
(NewsOK - Aug 12, 1987)
The Rogers County charges came after a three-month investigation in four states that included dozens of witnesses, said Patrick Abitbol, first assistant district attorney.
"This case by far has captivated more attention than any other I've worked on," Abitbol said Tuesday.
Efforts to reach McAnally for comment Tuesday were unsuccessful. He did not respond to messages left at his business, a Catoosa backhoe and excavating equipment company.
Participants in the races near Catoosa allege McAnally urged entrants in his competition to run an all-out horse race in hot, humid weather along a Verdigris River trail.
The races, in distances of 15, 25, 50 and 100 miles, were organized by McAnally but were not sanctioned by the Catoosa Chamber of Commerce, Whiteley said. Estes said the race organizer pulled out of the event Friday, apparently because of dangerous heat and humidity.
The bodies of five horses, one of them buried along the race course, were found by authorities.
Carolyn Estes, spokeswoman for the sheriff's office, said an undersheriff looking into the case found the five dead horses on a trail along the Port of Catoosa channel.
Six other horses died after the race, Catoosa Mayor Terry Whitely said.
Estes said that if more than five horses died, "they were removed prior to our investigation." She added that authorities "may never know the actual number" that died.
McAnally is charged with seven counts of cruelty to animals. Both he and his wife, Paula McAnally, also are charged with unlawful betting on a race.
Five others charged with cruelty to animals allegedly were either riders or owners of seven horses that died.
The district attorney's decision to prosecute was welcomed Tuesday by an endurance ride organization that had pulled out of the races.
"I'm surprised and pleased they got the owners on it," said Darolyn Butler, a member of the American Endurance Ride Conference. "I really do hold McAnally responsible for most of this."
Butler had worked with McAnally to make the rides an AERC-sanctioned event. The AERC withdrew its sanction one day before the event after McAnally allegedly said the horses were to run without rest stops or veterinary control. Many of the participants whose horses died said the extreme heat was responsible for the collapse of their animals.
Bill Coghill of Broken Arrow, whose 4-year-old filly died after he pulled her out of the event, said in an earlier interview that the animal would have survived the run in normal weather.
"People are calling us "horse killers,' " Coghill said. "There's no way. I loved that horse."
One of the carcasses was sent to Oklahoma State University for necropsy. A pathology report showed the horse died of heat exhaustion and shock, Abitbol said.
The horse also had the diuretic Lasix in its system, said Bill Edwards, veterinary toxicologist with the university's Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.
The tests could not determine whether the drug had been administered before or after the race, Edwards said.
The drug is legal in Oklahoma but banned from state-sanctioned races, Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission investigator Benny Lovett said.
A report from the American Endurance Ride Conference, which withdrew its sanction the day before the races, cited allegations McAnally had told participants "to use Butazoliden (a stimulant) or whatever drugs would make their horses run fast."
Others named in the charges would not comment Tuesday.
Each of the seven animal cruelty counts against McAnally would carry up to a five-year prison term, or a one-year jail term and a maximum fine of $500 on conviction, Abitbol said.
Coghill, as an alleged rider of a horse that died, is charged with one animal cruelty count. Johnnie Lee Medders of Talihina, allegedly the owner or caretaker of two of the horses, is charged with two counts.
Jody Marcella Trotter of Kiefer, who allegedly rode one of the stricken horses and owned or took care of two, is charged with two animal cruelty counts.
Separate cruelty counts were filed against alleged riders Marty Douglas Bates of Claremore and William Schluneger of Broken Arrow.
The betting charge against the McAnallys stems from an alleged gambling auction before the race, Abitbol said. Conviction would carry up to a 10-year prison sentence and a maximum fine of $10,000, he said.
(NewsOK - Aug 12, 1987)
Friday, August 7, 1987
Illinois: Teen With Pit Bull Guilty Of Armed Robbery
ILLINOIS -- A Cook County Juvenile Court judge found a teenager guilty of armed robbery Wednesday, ruling that the pit-bull terrier he ordered to attack his victim was a "dangerous weapon."
The youth, now 17, used the dog when he robbed another teenager last month in the 1400 block of South Ashland Avenue, said Assistant State`s Atty. Jeffrey Ryan.
"He demanded money, and when it was refused, a struggle took place and he commanded the dog," Ryan said. "He said, `Get him!'"
The dog latched onto the victim's knee. When the youth managed to free his leg, the dog leaped up and grabbed his jacket. The youth fled, leaving his jacket behind, still in the dog's grasp. The robber got the jacket and a pair of sunglasses that were in a pocket, but no money, Ryan said.
"The dog was an active participant in the robbery-- he was the one who took the jacket," Ryan said.
The victim, treated at Cook County Hospital, later identified a dog tied outside the defendant`s home as the one that attacked him. The dog was taken to the city`s animal pound, where it is to be destroyed Thursday.
Ryan argued that the pit bull qualified as a "weapon" when used by the robber, whose name was withheld because of his age at the time of arrest. Judge Julia Dempsey agreed and found the youth delinquent on charges of armed robbery and aggravated battery.
The teenager, released over Ryan`s objection, will be sentenced Sept. 21.
(Chicago Tribune - August 6, 1987)
The youth, now 17, used the dog when he robbed another teenager last month in the 1400 block of South Ashland Avenue, said Assistant State`s Atty. Jeffrey Ryan.
"He demanded money, and when it was refused, a struggle took place and he commanded the dog," Ryan said. "He said, `Get him!'"
The dog latched onto the victim's knee. When the youth managed to free his leg, the dog leaped up and grabbed his jacket. The youth fled, leaving his jacket behind, still in the dog's grasp. The robber got the jacket and a pair of sunglasses that were in a pocket, but no money, Ryan said.
"The dog was an active participant in the robbery-- he was the one who took the jacket," Ryan said.
The victim, treated at Cook County Hospital, later identified a dog tied outside the defendant`s home as the one that attacked him. The dog was taken to the city`s animal pound, where it is to be destroyed Thursday.
Ryan argued that the pit bull qualified as a "weapon" when used by the robber, whose name was withheld because of his age at the time of arrest. Judge Julia Dempsey agreed and found the youth delinquent on charges of armed robbery and aggravated battery.
The teenager, released over Ryan`s objection, will be sentenced Sept. 21.
(Chicago Tribune - August 6, 1987)
Friday, July 17, 1987
Illinois: Teen Corzell Thomason, 17, Held For Using Pit Bull In Robbery
ILLINOIS -- Police charged a 16-year-old West Side youth with armed robbery Wednesday for using two pit bull terriers as weapons to rob another teenager.
The pit bulls were "just as good as a gun," said police Sgt. Randy Barton.
Barton said the youth, whose name was withheld because of his age, confronted Corzell Thomason, 17, Wednesday in the 1400 block of South Ashland Avenue and demanded $10.
When Thomason refused, the robber sicced one of his dogs on Thomason. The dog bit Thomason's right leg. The robber also struck Thomason with a dog leash, said the sergeant, and took Thomason's jacket and sunglasses.
Thomason was treated at Cook County Hospital and released.
By questioning residents of the area, police tracked down and arrested the suspect, said Sgt. Barton.
Employees of the city`s Animal Control Department confiscated the suspect's two dogs, named Commanche and Spot, from his home.
The dogs were taken to the department`s pound.
Police were attempting to determine if the 16-year-old, who is in police custody, is the same person who held up a man and took a portable radio on Tuesday in the 2200 block of West Roosevelt Road by threatening the man with one pit bull.
That robber was accompanied by several accomplices.
(Chicago Tribune - July 16, 1987)
The pit bulls were "just as good as a gun," said police Sgt. Randy Barton.
Barton said the youth, whose name was withheld because of his age, confronted Corzell Thomason, 17, Wednesday in the 1400 block of South Ashland Avenue and demanded $10.
When Thomason refused, the robber sicced one of his dogs on Thomason. The dog bit Thomason's right leg. The robber also struck Thomason with a dog leash, said the sergeant, and took Thomason's jacket and sunglasses.
Thomason was treated at Cook County Hospital and released.
By questioning residents of the area, police tracked down and arrested the suspect, said Sgt. Barton.
Employees of the city`s Animal Control Department confiscated the suspect's two dogs, named Commanche and Spot, from his home.
The dogs were taken to the department`s pound.
Police were attempting to determine if the 16-year-old, who is in police custody, is the same person who held up a man and took a portable radio on Tuesday in the 2200 block of West Roosevelt Road by threatening the man with one pit bull.
That robber was accompanied by several accomplices.
(Chicago Tribune - July 16, 1987)
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