Ramon Najera San Antonio man mauled to death by pack of dogs as dog owner Christian Alexander Moreno is arrested. History of prior dog attacks.
The owner of a pack of dogs that killed an elderly man and injured three others in San Antonio, Texas, has been arrested and charged with two felonies as the man’s wife now insists her husband is not responsible for the fatal dog attack.
Ramon Najera was mauled to death by the canines as the 81 year old man and his wife, Juanita Najera, 74, exited their car on Friday afternoon.
Najera, a former Air Force veteran had had been trying to protect his wife from the animals when they broke free from a yard on February 26 and killed him, KSAT reported.
The dog breeds involved in the fatal attack which also injured three others were two American Staffordshire Terriers and pit bulls.
Christian Alexander Moreno, 31, was arrested and charged with two felonies the San Antonio Police Department Covert Unit stated in a release.
Pitbull attack in San Antonio, Texas
‘Horrific scene’: Dog owner arrested after elderly man killed, 3 others injured. pic.twitter.com/a4989d2Tkr
— PPV-TAHOE – News Journalist (@ppv_tahoe) February 25, 2023
Dog owner wife defends husband
Moreno is facing two felony charges of Attack by Dangerous Dog Causing Death and Injury to an Elderly [Individual], according to the SAPD.
He is being held on a $75,000 bond for the attack by dangerous dog causing death charge and a $50,000 bond for the injury to an elderly individual charge, online court records show.
A representative at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center said he was still in custody as of Monday.
A video (since removed) taken by Silvia Hernandez allegedly showed the dogs ‘circling’ Najera, who lay face down on the ground, Animals 24-7 reported.
‘I do not believe all dogs are aggressive,’ Hernandez stated on Facebook. ‘I blame THE OWNERS who have done nothing but continue to breed and aggravate these dogs to make them what they are. These dogs are not the problem. IT’S THE OWNERS. There are multiple open cases and reports and no one did anything.’
In the aftermath of Friday’s fatal attack, the dog owner’s wife, Abilene Moreno, insisted Alexander was not responsible and had taken care when raising the dog breed.
Nevertheless the woman conceded the dogs being involved in two recent attacks and being confiscated by authorities before their kids begged them to take them back.
History of prior dog attacks
‘We were coming back and I saw the dogs behind the gate but they were full of blood,’ Moreno told KENS5.
‘It’s traumatizing to see my dogs that I have raised since they were puppies do that to somebody.’
‘From the bottom of our hearts, we’re sorry but my husband is not responsible,’ Abilene Moreno said, claiming they did everything they could to keep the dogs – King, Snow and Legend – from escaping.
Abilene described how the dogs had escaped before and had been involved in two recent attacks. Moreno was warned following an attack in November to keep the animals inside the property according to a SAPD release.
At least two of the dogs were also involved in a pair of confirmed bite cases in January of this year and September 2021, according to the release.
Despite the prior incidents, Abilene Moreno said the animals ‘which could be a handful,’ had not been raised to be aggressive.
Tribute to beloved grandfather
‘We never hit them, neglect them, never abused them,’ the wife said.
After the attacks last month the dogs were temporarily confiscated by Animal Care Services.
Moreno claims 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.
Moreno’s wife said she noticed that the dogs becoming more aggressive after being sterilized. Moreno allegedly refused to bring the dogs back to Animal Care Services, according to an arrest affidavit.
Najera’s death led to the man’s grandchildren sharing 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.’
San Antonio Animal Care Services confirmed that the dogs involved in the incident had been put down. A third dog that was present but not involved was also put down Friday night.
