The owner of two pit bulls that attacked a visitor in April was arrested last Saturday on suspicion of felony “failure to control mischieveious animals,” according to Capt. John Hocking, commander of the Avalon Station.
In related news, a judge ordered the dogs destroyed on May 19, according to City Attorney Scott Campbell. The deadline to appeal the decision has passed and no appeal has been filed.
The owner of two pit bulls that attacked a visitor in April was arrested last Saturday on suspicion of felony “failure to control mischieveious animals,” according to Capt. John Hocking, commander of the Avalon Station.
In related news, a judge ordered the dogs destroyed on May 19, according to City Attorney Scott Campbell. The deadline to appeal the decision has passed and no appeal has been filed.
In April, John Brady of Huntington Beach was injured while protecting Josh, his Jack Russell terrier, from two American bull terriers on the Catalina pier. Both 120-pound “pit bulls” were reportedly off leash. Brady was transported to the mainland for emergency medical treatment. Brady is home now, recovering from his injuries.
According to Hocking, the decision to prosecute in the case was made based on both the severity of injuries Brady experienced, and the fact there had been a previous incident involving one of the dogs. An Avalon detective recently presented the case to a prosecutor at the Long Beach office of the Los Angeles District Attorney. Hocking said the DA’s Offfice issued a $30,000 felony arrest warrant for Chell Weston, 60, of San Diego. She was arrested Saturday when she came to the Island. According to Hocking, Weston currently lives aboard a boat anchored outside Avalon Harbor.
She was arraigned on May 30 at the Long Beach Courthouse. Details were not available at the courthouse website.
Weston has been accused of violating California Penal Code 399(b):
“If any person owning or having custody or control of a mischievous animal, knowing its propensities, willfully suffers it to go at large, or keeps it without ordinary care, and the animal, while so at large, or while not kept with ordinary care, causes serious bodily injury to any human being who has taken all the precautions that the circumstances permitted, or which a reasonable person would ordinarily take in the same situation, is guilty of a misdemeanor or a felony.”
As for her dogs, City Campbell said he did not know if the order to euthanize the pit bulls had been carried out.
He said the people who have been holding the dogs in protective custody on the mainland have been notified that the court ordered the dogs to be euthanized.
Brady’s daughter has launched a Go Fund Me campaign to raise money to cover his medical costs.
As of this week, the campaign has raised $20,615 of the $25,000 goal.
