|
Lakewood, CA …The
Los Angeles County DA's office formally charged Antoynette Michelle
Jenkins of Lakewood today with felony charges for a vicious attack
by her pit bull dogs on a SEAACA animal control officer two weeks
ago. On May 7 SEAACA Officer Vince Hernandez responded to Jenkins'
home on the 6100 Block of Briercrest Ave. in Lakewood investigating
a complaint of too many dogs on the property.
When Hernandez
walked into the backyard with Jenkins to observe the dogs, Jenkins
allegedly went inside of the house without warning, leaving
Hernandez alone to deal with the five pit bulls. Officer Hernandez
was overpowered by a large male pit bull when, trying to defend
himself against the dog's aggressive advances, he fell onto the
ground landing on his back.
Officer Hernandez
suffered severe dog bite wounds to his arms, hands and legs in the
attack. "Dog owners must realize that it is their responsibility to
control their animals so that they don't become a public safety
threat," says Dan Morrison, Executive Director for SEAACA. "Our
officer is recovering and under the care of a doctor – so we're a
bit more at ease with this tragic incident," Morrison stated.
Although all five
of the pit bulls were involved in the attack, the large male pit
bull named "Rocky" was the alleged aggressor and has been tested for
rabies by the County Health Department. The results were negative.
All five pit bulls were signed over by Jenkins to be euthanized.
Jenkins has been
ordered to appear in Bellflower Superior Court, Division 3, on June
11, 2008 at 8am. |
Animal
Law Enforcement & Rescue
