DOG ATTACK: Family dog reportedly assaulted 2-year-old

Crime

July 10, 2007

Anonymous The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Tue Jul 10, 2007, 12:30 PM EDT

BY APRIL AMADON/amadona@gnnewspaper.com

Lockport police are investigating an apparent attack by a pit bull on a small boy.

The 2-year-old is recovering at Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo after police say he was attacked and sexually assaulted by his family’s pit bull.

Police said the toddler was in his home on Washburn Street about 2 p.m. Sunday when the pill bull attacked. According to police, the dog sodomized the boy.

“The dog sexually attacked the kid and caused some pretty significant injuries,” said Lockport Police Detective Capt. Larry Eggert.

Eggert said the boy’s family members, who were reportedly home at the time, and neighbors had to beat the dog to get him off the boy.

The dog has been impounded at the Niagara County SPCA in Wheatfield as the investigation continues. Eggert said a veterinarian will be brought in to take DNA samples from the dog.

“(The vet will) compare DNA taken from the boy to kind of verify it happened,” Eggert said.

Eggert said everyone involved in the case was shocked by the bizarre incident.

“I have never, ever heard of an assault quite like that,” Eggert said.

Niagara County SPCA Executive Director Al Chille said this case is an unusual one.

“I have had reports of adults having (sexual) relationships with animals, but not anything like that,” he said. “The majority of the calls we receive with regards to pit bulls are bite calls, not calls of this nature. We get a considerably large number of those (bite calls) from all over the county.”

The dog was a 2-year-old pit bull that had been with the family since it was a puppy, Eggert said. Sunday’s incident was the first time the family had any problems with the dog being aggressive or biting, he said.

The boy underwent surgery on Sunday night and may need more reconstructive surgery in the future, Eggert said.

Sunday saw two dog attacks

The attack was one of two that occurred Sunday involving pit bulls.

The owner of a pit bull on Willow Street was charged after her dog reportedly attacked another dog on Sunday.

Bobbie L. Mael, 51, 544 Willow St., was charged Sunday with having a dog at large. Witnesses said Mael’s 7-year-old pit bull, Lana, attacked 7-year-old Bailey, a Labrador mix, in a neighboring yard.

A neighbor told police he saw Lana coming toward his home, growling at him. The pit bull heard Bailey barking nearby and went after it, the report said.

The Labrador’s owner said he had to hit the pit bull with a hockey stick to break the hold it had on his dog’s neck.

Officers arrived on the scene and saw the pit bull standing near the curb with blood visible around its mouth. In the nearby yard, the Labrador was “visually upset,” the report said, with blood drops on its fur.

The pit bull was grabbed and placed in the back of the patrol car. Mael is due today in Lockport City Court.

Chille said pit bulls are notorious for being aggressive, though that may not be true of all pit bulls.

“The majority of calls we get either are aggressive pit bulls or people that perceive the pit bulls are aggressive,” he said. “There’s a natural fear of the breed.”

In his 27 years working with the SPCA, he said he’s seen many dog breeds become feared in society — including spaniels, German shepherds and rottweilers.

“Each one of the dogs had its day,” he said.

The problem is not with the breed itself, Chille said, but rather the manner in which the dog is raised. A pit bull raised in a loving atmosphere since puppyhood “could be a fine dog,” he said.

He recommends people be wary and avoid leaving small children alone with any breed of dog, not just those notorious for being aggressive, and to make sure dogs are spayed or neutered.

All animals that leave the SPCA for adoption are required to be spayed or neutered.

“If they would neuter them, I think it would take a lot of the fight out of them,” Chille said.

Contact reporter April Amadon at 439-9222, ext. 6251.

Text Only

Crime

Police blotter items published Feb. 7, 2012
MENACING: Joel S. Zsebehazy, 28. 92 Gabriel Dr. Apt. A was charged with third-degree menacing and fourth-degree criminal mischief Monday. The police responded to Gabriel Drive at 1:46 a.m. for the report of a domestic incident. According to the report, the victim said Zsebehazy threw a chair at her during a verbal dispute.

February 6, 2012
Police blotter items published Feb. 6, 2012
Lockport Police are investigating the stabbing of a man at a Lockport nightclub that occurred early Sunday morning.
According to the report, Police patrolling in the Heath Street area heard three or four gunshots come from inside of the Casa Montego Nightclub, 37 Heath St., at around 3:11 a.m. Sunday. They called for back-up and observed screaming patrons fleeing the club.
After Niagara County Sheriff’s Officers and DSP arrived, police were able to secure the scene. Officers entered the club and discovered that a male had been stabbed. There was a large amount of blood observed on the floor and a bullet hole in the ceiling.
The victim was treated at Eastern Niagara Hospital for a laceration to his left cheek and transferred to ECMC with non-life threatening injuries. He told police in a verbal statement that an unknown person came up from behind him and cut him with an unknown object. However, he refused to sign a written statement.
The investigation has revealed that a fight broke out inside of the bar and at least one gunshot was fired inside. Statements were taken from two security guards, whose handguns were secured and placed into evidence.
At this time, it is unknown who fired the weapon or if there are any gunshot victims. Notifications were made to several local hospitals to be on the look out for gunshot victims.

February 6, 2012
Police blotter items published Feb. 5, 2012
POSSESSION: Lacey L. Benben, 32, 1363 Church St., Basom, was arrested at 1:30 a.m. Friday for criminal possession of a hypodermic needle and several traffic violations following a traffic stop. According to the report, patrol observed a car driven by Benben traveling southbound on South Transit Street and a NYSPIN check showed the vehicle had not been insured since Feb. 2011. The vehicle was found to be unregistered, uninsured, had improper license plates and a red piece of paper with white paint was in place of the inspection sticker. Benben, who is scheduled to appear Wednesday in City Court, was taken into custody. While the vehicle was being inventoried, police discovered a hypodermic needle in the driver’s wallet. The license plates were removed from the vehicle, which was towed.

February 6, 2012
Police blotter item published Feb. 3, 2012
City of Lockport
VANDALISM: Lockport City Police reported Thursday a stop sign had the word "bloodz" painted on it sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The sign is located at Hawley Street and Park Avenue on the south side. No suspicious individuals were found in the area, the report said.

February 3, 2012
Police blotter items published Feb. 2, 2012
ASSAULT: Julio C. Pimental, 27, 514 Prospect St. was charged with third-degree assault Wednesday. The police responded to the corner of Green and Hawley Streets at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday for the report of a fight. According to the report, Pimental approached the victim and hit the victim several times in the jaw and with a closed fist. The victim covered his head and Pimental allegedly struck the victim with his knee until people began yelling. Pimental ran on Hawley Street. The victim named his attacker as “Julio” and described him to police. Pimental responded to the Lockport Police Department and was arrested without incident at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.

February 2, 2012
Police blotter items published Feb. 1, 2012
HARASSMENT: Christina M. Vendetta, 18, 2323 Lockport-Olcott Road, Newfane was charged with second-degree harassment Monday. According to the report, a woman stated she received a threatening Facebook message from Vendetta last Thursday. A copy of the message was given to the police who began an investigation. Vendetta turned herself in Monday and was booked.

February 1, 2012
Police blotter items published Jan. 31, 2012
City of Lockport
CONTEMPT: Christopher Stokes, 25, 442 West Ave. was charged with second-degree harassment, third-degree criminal mischief, endangering the welfare of a child and first-degree criminal contempt Monday. According to the report, Stokes was involved in an argument Sunday with a woman. Stokes, who was allegedly intoxicated, threw a martini glass at the victim and picked up the child and began walking down West Avenue. The child was not wearing a coat and was in his pajamas. Stokes returned the child to the caller and fled the scene before the police arrived. Stokes was arrested Monday.

January 31, 2012
Police blotter items published Jan. 30, 2012
DWI: Kenneth Paul, 60, 1764 Hess Rd., Appleton was arrested Sunday and charged with driving while intoxicated and aggravated driving while intoxicated, as well as equipment violations. According to the report, police had received notice from the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office that a vehicle had gone into a ditch and the driver was possibly intoxicated. The vehicle being driven by Paul had heavy front end damage and matched the NCSO description. During a traffic stop, the responding officer spoke with the driver and observed an odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath, as well as observing a can of beer spilled on the floor of the vehicle. The vehicle’s front air bags had been deployed, but Paul appeared uninjured. He failed several field sobriety tests. He was arrested and is scheduled to appear in City Court at 9 a.m. Monday. Paul has an active arrest warrant from Wisconsin, however the state would not extradite him.

January 30, 2012
BLOTTER: Police reports published Jan. 29, 2012
January 29, 2012
BLOTTER: Police reports published Jan. 28, 2012
January 28, 2012
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