A San Antonio pit bull breeding couple ‘used meat to train their dogs to be aggressive’ prior to the fatal mauling of an 81-year-old man.
Christian Alexander Moreno was arrested and charged with criminal negligence – dangerous dog attack resulting in death and injury to elderly and remains in jail. His wife Abilene Schnieder, 31, has now also been slapped with the same charges.
Ramon Najera, 81, had been trying to protect his wife, 74, from the couple’s pit bulls after they broke free from a yard on February 26 and mauled him to death. His wife, along with two other men were also injured in the attack.
The dogs had attacked two other people in the neighborhood on two separate occasions and fresh evidence points to the criminal couple having ‘trained’ the dogs to be vicious killers.
Christian Alexander Moreno was arrested and charged with criminal negligence – dangerous dog attack resulting in death and injury to elderly and remains in jail. His wife Abilene Schneider, 31, has now also been slapped with the same charges
Investigators told news4sanantonio that the pit bulls made an easy escape from their yard from a hole in the fence.
According to the arrest report, a witness video showed that the dogs were not wearing collars or harnesses – a requirement of Animal Control Services (ACS). Moreno had told investigators that he had complied with the guidelines.
Police said they’d received tips that Moreno and Schnieder ‘have been breeding the dogs and training the dogs to be aggressive with meat.’
The affidavit goes on to state that Schneider also had ‘recorded conversations with her husband regarding how dangerous the dogs had become. ‘
The three terrifying American Staffordshire Terriers were euthanized with ‘multiple reports of the dogs violent behavior’ emerging in the wake of the deadly attack.
Following the incident and before her arrest Schnieder claimed her husband wasn’t responsible for the attack and that they’d taken care when raising them.
Following the first couple of attacks, the dogs had been removed from their possession but they were quickly brought back after the couple’s children begged to take them back.
‘We were coming back and I saw the dogs behind the gate but they were full of blood,’ Schneider told local channel KENS5.
‘It’s traumatizing to see my dogs that I have raised since they were puppies do that to somebody.’
Ramon Najera, 81, had been trying to protect his wife, 74, from the couple’s pit bulls after they broke free from a yard on February 26 and mauled him to death
Firefighters were forced to use pickaxes and metal poles to fight off the savage animals
‘From the bottom of our hearts, we’re sorry but my husband is not responsible,’ she added, claiming they’d done everything in their power to keep – King, Snow and Legend – from escaping.
Schnieder said she was trying to raise the money to have her husband released on bail – his bond set at $125,000.
When the two arrived home on Friday afternoon they saw their dogs were out of their harnesses and were told by first responders that their dogs had attacked four people and killed one.
His wife described how the dogs could be a handful, that they had escaped before and that the family wanted to ride them.
The dogs had ben involved in two attacks, one involving King and two involving Snow. Despite that she said they had not been raised to be aggressive.
‘We never hit them, neglect them, never abused them,’ she said.
After the attacks last month the dogs were temporarily confiscated by Animal Care Services.
The 31-year-old claiming she nor her husband wanted the dogs back, but that their children did. ‘I was like, these dogs aren’t for us anymore,’ she said.
The grandchildren of Najera 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 San Antonio native, a US Air Force veteran, and an adventurous, outgoing, and loving family man,’ they wrote.
‘He was recently put on dialysis but was determined to enjoy life to the fullest despite his health condition.’
Carlos Gomez, Ramon’s stepson and Janie’s son, said on Facebook that his stepfather was a ‘strong man’ he was getting ready start working as a security guard, despite his age.
‘He was getting ready to start back up at his security job which is the reason they were stopping at a seamstress. My stepdad was having some work done on his uniform when they were viciously attacked by these dogs,’ he wrote.
After more than one attack last months the dogs were temporarily confiscated by Animal Care Services. Schnieder claims she nor her husband (both pictured) wanted the dogs back, but that their children did
Firefighters can be seen holding their metal pickaxes to force the animals away
The attack occurred along 2800 block of Depla Street, on the city’s west side where Najeras and his wife were visiting friends.
When they got out of their car, the couple were set upon by two American Staffordshire Terriers, who had escaped their yard.
When the San Antonio Fire Department arrived on the scene at around 1.45pm, ‘the dogs still actively attacking the couple and attempted to intervene,’ the police said.
An EMS captain was bitten in the leg during the attempted rescue.
San Antonio Animal Care Services confirmed on Saturday that the dogs involved in the incident will both be put down. A third dog that was present but not involved was also euthanized.
Firefighters arrived just after 1.45pm on Friday to what was described as a ‘horrific’ scene in which the man was being dragged by the animals as emergency services tried to intervene.
They were forced to use their pickaxes to get the dogs to release their grip. Two other people including Najera’s wife sustained non-fatal injuries, with one bit on the hand.
‘As they rounded the corner they could see a man being dragged by a dog. He was completely bloodied before they got out of the truck,’ San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said at the scene.
Snow pictured with her puppies, 7 males and 2 females. Snow was involved in two attacks last month as well as the fatal attack last week
San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said his staff were most likely traumatized by the gruesome scene
Emergency services are seen at the location of a fatal dog attack in which an 81-year-old man died
‘This is not something that is normal for us. We don’t normally have to defend patients from animals or ourselves. The firefighters in this instance were very heroic fighting off these pit bulls with pickaxes and pipes to try and get to the patients,’ Hood said.
‘Two people were mauled with a confirmed fatality who was treated and given blood on the scene, together with a female in critical condition. Another individual was bitten on the hand and also taken to the hospital.
‘It has been a horrific scene and horrific experience for everyone involved including firefighters which was essentially a rescue to save themselves,’ Hood said.
A San Antonio Fire Captain who arrived on scene was also bitten in the leg during the attack. Hood said that the entire experience had likely ’emotionally scarred’ the firefighters. ‘Nobody expects to go out and fight dogs in a situation like they did today,’ he said.
Both women who were attacked were taken to University Hospital for treatment. One was in critical condition after the attack but her current state is not known.
Shannon Wade Sims, the director of Animal Care Services in San Antonio, says the dogs were American Staffordshire dogs. ACS officers responded soon after and took all of the dogs involved and placed them in quarantine kennels, where they will remain until further notice.
