Freddy Garcia 71 year old man mauled to death by 7 dogs walking to store. Samuel Cartwright, Fresno, Texas dog owner arrested in connection to fatal attack.
A 71-year-old man was mauled to death by seven dogs while walking to a neighborhood store in Fresno, Texas, authorities reported.
Freddy Garcia was walking to a neighborhood store in Fresno on Tuesday, July 18 when he was fatally attacked by the pack of dogs, according to a statement released by the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office.
Samuel Cartwright, 47, who owned all seven dogs, was arrested and charged in connection with the mauling, the sheriff’s office said on Friday.
‘All seven dogs — who are a pit bull mixes — were captured by sheriff’s deputies and Animal Control,’ the sheriff’s office added.
Cartwright was booked into the county jail on Thursday and charged with ‘attack by dog resulting in death,’ a second-degree felony, according to jail records. The man’s bail was set at $100,000.
Dog owner insisted animals didn’t belong to him
All four of the dogs were captured shortly after the mauling but three were on the loose for an undisclosed period of time before being captured police. All seven of the dogs were a pit bull mix, according to authorities, but no owner of the animal was identified at the time.
Prior to his arrest, Cartwright told KTRK, that the dogs did not belong to him and that he called animal control as soon as he spotted them on his property.
‘There’s 20 dogs around here right now. If you drive down this back street, there will be 20 loose dogs running around,’ he said. ‘People just dump them around here. The dogs go wherever they can find food.’
A subsequent investigation identified Cartwright as the owner of the seven dogs that fatally mauled the 71 year old man.
Garcia’s granddaughter, Ivon Fajardo, mourned her grandfather’s death.
‘He was youthful. He was full of life. He liked to dance. He liked to sing. He was really joyful,’ Fajardo told KTRK in Spanish. ‘We would get together on the weekend and enjoy each other’s company. Now, that he’s not here. It’s not going to be the same.’
Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton stressed dog owners responsibility to keep their animals secure, especially if their dog was dangerous.
A tragedy that could’ve been avoided
‘If you have a dangerous dog, it is your responsibility to keep that dog secure, to keep the members in our community safe,’ Middleton said.
Sheriff Eric Fagan said in a news conference Tuesday that Garcia had done nothing to provoke the animals.
‘He was walking down the street. He was not in anyone’s yard, he was walking to the store when he was attacked,’ the official said. ‘He had nothing in his hands. The dogs just attacked him for no reason and no provocation whatsoever.’
Adding, ‘This devastating tragedy didn’t have to happen. I extend my deepest condolences to the Garcia family and his neighbors as they adjust to the loss of Mr. Garcia.’
