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Ramon Najera, 81, was killed after being attacked by two Staffordshire terrier dogs on Friday, February 24. Both Najera, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and his wife, Janie, 74, were attacked by the dogs.
The dogs attacked other people as well, including a fire captain who responded to the scene. The dogs' owner has been identified as Christian Moreno. Authorities have arrested Moreno, who claimed that the dogs were locked when the attack took place.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to raise funds to meet the medical expenses of Janie and the funeral expenses of the US Air Force veteran. The post has described Ramon Najera as a “loving family man.”
The GoFundMe campaign for Ramon Najera has raised over $17,500 since the time it was created
The GoFundMe campaign launched to raise funds to meet the funeral costs of Ramon Najera and his wife's medical expenses has raised over $17,500, more than the $10,000 goal. Over 300 people have donated. The campaign included some details about the veteran,
“This fatal attack took our grandfather's life and left our grandmother in grave condition... He was recently put on dialysis but was determined to enjoy life to the fullest despite his health condition.”
The post has described Ramon Najera as an “adventurous, outgoing, and loving family man.”
Janie Najera's son, Carlos Gomez, wrote on Facebook that his stepfather, Ramon Najera, "was trying to save my mom from being attacked."
The tragic incident happened on the 2800 block of Depla Street in San Antonio, where Ramon Najera and his wife, Janie, went to visit a friend. However, the brutal attack by the dogs left Ramon dead and severely injured his wife. According to an arrest affidavit, Janie tried helping her husband when she saw him being attacked by the pit bulls but got wounded.
Authorities have taken the dog owner, Christian Moreno, 31, into custody. He is currently at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center, as per reports.
Witnesses called 911, while a bystander tried to shoo the dogs off using a rake. The dogs, however, attacked the bystander too. A video has been captured that showed the dogs “circling” Ramon Najera, who was lying on the ground by then.
The responding officers had to use pickaxes to fight off the pit bulls. In the process, a responder got bitten in the leg. Captain Hood stated,
“This is not something normal for us. We usually don’t show up and have to defend patients from animals or ourselves.”
Apart from the elderly couple, an EMS captain also sustained severe injuries in the attack while trying to help Ramon Najera. Hood continued,
“Horrific scene, horrific for the people who experienced it and horrific for our firefighters that were part of this.”
Animal Control Services arrived at the scene and took the dogs into custody. It was revealed that SAPD had previously responded to an incident in November. The officials then told the owners that the dogs needed to be kept inside.
Christian Morena has been charged with two felony charges
Christian has been charged with two felony charges of Attack by Dangerous Dog Causing Death and Injury to an Elderly [Individual]. The same has been confirmed by SAPD.
According to Moreno’s wife, Abilene, the dogs were harnessed behind the gate; however, they reportedly knocked down the fence and escaped. She said,
“From the bottom of our hearts, we’re sorry… My husband is not responsible.”
She further told KENS 5,
“We were coming back and I saw the dogs behind the gate but they were covered in blood. It’s traumatizing to see my dogs that I have raised since they were puppies do that to somebody.”
It was revealed that both dogs have an aggressive history. Animal Care Services has confirmed the same as well. The pit bulls were involved in two “bite cases” in the neighborhood, and one of them happened recently. Following the second attack, the dogs were neutered and spayed by ACS officials.
Abilene Moreno continued by saying that they did not want to keep the pets due to their aggressive behavior but gave into their children’s desire to keep them. According to San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood,
“The first responders witnessed the 81-year-old being dragged by a dog [and] completely bloody before they got off the fire truck.”
Several recent cases of dog attacks have surfaced. Just a month back, a 7-year-old girl died after she was attacked by a pit bull in her yard in Louisiana. In a separate incident, an 11-year-old boy suffered severe injuries after being mauled by three pit bulls in Georgia.
