An 81-year-old San Antonio man has been photographed mauled to death by a pack of dogs that included pit bulls.
Ramón Nájera had been trying to protect his 74-year-old wife from the beasts when they escaped from a patio on February 26 and killed him.
But Abilene Moreno, whose husband, Christian Alexander, owned the dogs, claimed he was not responsible and had taken due care in raising the powerful breed.
She recounted how the couple were out when the attack happened, but were horrified when they returned home to find out about the murder.
“We were coming back and I saw the dogs behind the door, but they were full of blood,” Moreno told local channel KENS5.
“It’s traumatizing to see my dogs that I’ve raised since they were puppies do that to someone.”
Ramón Nájera, 81, was fatally mutilated by a pack of dogs after getting out of a car with his wife of 74 years in San Antonio, Texas. She was among three people who suffered non-fatal injuries in the attack.
Abilene Moreno, the wife of the dog’s owner, said the couple was not there when it happened, but they were horrified.
“From the bottom of our hearts, we’re sorry, but my husband is not responsible,” Abilene Moreno said, explaining that she and her husband did everything they could to stop the dogs, King, Snow and Legend, from escaping.
Her husband, Christian Alexander Moreno, 31, was charged with attack by a dangerous dog causing death and injury to an elderly person, both felonies.
His wife has said she is trying to raise the money to get him released on bail – his bail was set at $125,000.
When the two arrived home Friday afternoon, they saw their dogs were out of their harnesses and were told by first responders that their dogs, King and Snow, had attacked four people and killed one.
His wife described how the dogs could be a handful, that they had run away before and that the family wanted to ride them.
The dogs had been involved in two recent attacks, one involving King and two involving Snow. Despite that, she said they weren’t bred to be aggressive.
“We never hit them, we neglect them, we never abuse them,” he said.
After attacks in recent months, Animal Care Services temporarily confiscated the dogs. Moreno affirms that neither she nor her husband wanted to get the dogs back, but that her children did.
“I thought, these dogs are not for us anymore,” he said.
Nájera’s grandchildren and his wife Janie shared a tribute to their grandfather and created a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral costs and medical bills for their grandmother’s injuries.
“Ramon was a native San Antonio, a US Air Force veteran, and an adventurous, outgoing, and loving family man,” they wrote. “He was recently on dialysis, but he was determined to enjoy life to the fullest despite his state of health.”
Carlos Gomez, Ramón’s stepson and Janie’s son, said on Facebook that his stepfather was a “strong man” who was preparing to start working as a security guard, despite his age.
“She was getting ready to start over at her security job, which is why they stopped at a seamstress. My stepfather was working in his uniform when they were viciously attacked by these dogs,” she wrote.
Firefighters were forced to use pickaxes and metal poles to fight wild animals.
After more than one attack in recent months, Animal Care Services temporarily confiscated the dogs. Moreno affirms that neither she nor her husband (both in the photo) wanted to get the dogs back, but that her children did.
Christian Alexander Moreno, 31, is photographed being arrested after his pet pit bulls mauled an 81-year-old man to death near his home in San Antonio, Texas.
The attack occurred in the 2800 block of Depla Street, on the city’s west side, where Nájeras and his wife were visiting friends. As they got out of their car, the couple was attacked by two American Staffordshire Terriers that had escaped from their yard.
When the San Antonio Fire Department arrived at the scene around 1:45 p.m., “dogs were still actively attacking the couple and attempted to intervene,” police said.
An EMS captain was bitten in the leg during the rescue attempt.
San Antonio Animal Care Services confirmed Saturday that the dogs involved in the incident will be euthanized. A third dog that was present but not involved will also be euthanized.
Firefighters arrived just after 1.45pm on Friday at what was described as a “horrifying” scene as animals dragged the man away as emergency services tried to intervene.
They were forced to use their beaks to catch the dogs and release them. Two other people, including Nájera’s wife, suffered non-fatal injuries, with a bite in their hand.
When they turned the corner, they could see a man dragged by a dog. He was completely bloody before they got out of the truck,” San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said at the scene.
Firefighters can be seen holding their metal pickaxes to ward off the animals.
Snow in the photo with her puppies, 7 males and 2 females. Snow was involved in two attacks last month, as well as last week’s fatal attack.
San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said his crew was likely traumatized by the gruesome scene.
Emergency services are seen at the scene of a fatal dog attack in which an 81-year-old man died.
‘This is not normal for us. Normally we don’t have to defend patients from animals or ourselves. The firefighters in this case were very heroic fighting these pit bulls with spikes and pipes to try to get to the patients,” Hood said.
‘Two people were mutilated with one confirmed death who was treated and given blood at the scene, along with a woman in critical condition. Another individual was bitten on the hand and also taken to the hospital.
“It’s been a horrible scene and a horrible experience for everyone involved, including the firefighters, which was essentially a rescue to save themselves,” Hood said.
A San Antonio Fire Captain who arrived on the scene was also bitten in the leg during the attack. Hood said the entire experience had likely “scarred emotionally” the firefighters. “No one expects to go out and fight dogs in a situation like today,” he said.
The two women who were attacked were taken to the University Hospital for treatment. One was in critical condition after the attack, but his current condition is unknown.
Shannon Wade Sims, director of Animal Care Services in San Antonio, says the dogs were American Staffordshire dogs. ACS officers responded shortly thereafter and took all dogs involved and placed them in quarantine kennels, where they will remain until further notice.