Man Charged in Dog Mauling
The District Attorney’s Office has filed criminal charges against Jose Ledesma, 40, in connection with a pit bull attack in Valley Center.
Ledesma has been charged with two misdemeanor counts of failing to protect the public from dogs and two misdemeanor counts of failing to restrain a dog. He faces up to one year in jail and a $2,000 fine if convicted of all the charges. The defendant was arraigned in San Diego Superior Court on September 4.
“We’ve seen a spate of cases involving dog attacks of various breeds in San Diego County and this latest cases is a reminder that the law is very clear—owners are responsible for protecting the public from their dogs, especially if the animals have a history of being aggressive,” said District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis.
Ledesma was caring for a friend’s pit bulls when they attacked a family jogging on a trail in Valley Center. Two young men fought off the dogs but were both severely mauled.
In June of this year, an 8-month-old Lemon Grove boy died after being bitten by a pit bull. Last year, an elderly San Diego woman was mauled by a pit bull and died from her injuries. In that incident, two women have been charged by the District Attorney’s Office with involuntary manslaughter and a trial date of October 22 has been set in that case. In 2010, a mail carrier in Oceanside was attacked by a Rottweiler and died from his injuries. That same year, a 2-year-old boy mauled by a German shepherd mix in a military housing complex in San Diego also died.
County Animal Services Director Dawn Danielson says dog bites can be prevented.
“The danger is not in the breed, it is in the owner or caretaker who fails to ensure that the dog is safely confined, socialized and supervised,” Danielson said.
From July 1,2011 to June 30 of 2012 there were 2,921 dog bites reported to the County’s Department of Animal Services. Of those, 640 are attributed to unknown breeds, 399 to pit bulls, 196 to Labrador retrievers and 172 to Chihuahuas.
Watch video on steps to prevent dog bites