The Texas couple who owned the dogs that mauled an elderly Air Force veteran to death were allegedly training the dogs to be aggressive, according to authorities.
Christian Moreno, 31, was arrested after last week's attack in San Antonio, where at least two of his three American Staffordshire Terriers bolted from their yard and killed Ramon Najera, 81, and injured his wife and two others, police said.
Moreno's wife, Abilene Schnieder, 31, was arrested on Wednesday. Both are facing felony charges in connection with the attack.
San Antonio police said they received tips that Moreno and Schnieder "have been breeding the dogs and training the dogs to be aggressive with meat," according to News 4 San Antonio, which cited a police report.
DOG THAT KILLED ELDERLY AIR FORCE VETERAN ‘SNAPPED’ AFTER PET SERVICES VISIT, OWNER SAYS
Abilene Schnieder, 31, was arrested after her dogs allegedly mauled an elderly Air Force veteran to death and injured several others in San Antonio, Texas. (San Antonio Police Department)
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.
"Schnieder’s arrest comes on the heels of new evidence that establishes shared ownership of the animals," police said in a press release.
Schnieder was taken into custody just days after telling reporters that her husband is innocent and their dogs "snapped" after a stay with ACS.
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She said the dogs had "noticeable" behavior changes after they brought them back from ACS, where they were quarantined following a January attack.
She told reporters that her husband talked to their family about giving the dogs up for adoption because they were "too much for us" days before Friday's fatal attack.
San Antonio Fire Captain Charles Hood said in a press conference Friday an elderly couple was walking on a sidewalk around 2 p.m. when they were attacked by at least two dogs. (WABB)
San Antonio Fire Captain Charles Hood said firefighters had to "fight off" the dogs with pickaxes and pike poles to get to the victims in what he described as a "horrific scene."
Firefighters saw a "gentleman being dragged by a dog. They could see him completely bloodied before they got off of the truck," Hood said.
All three dogs were euthanized.
Two of the dogs were involved in previous bite incidents in September 2021 and January 2023, according to police and ACS, which quarantined the dogs before giving them back to the Morenos.
ACS Director Shannon Sims said that neighbors had repeatedly complained about neglect on the owners’ part.
A Staffordshire Bull Terrier. (Liberty Humane Society)
"Those bites were mild," Sims said. "So those animals finished their state-required quarantine, and the owner paid reclaim fees, and by state law, we were required to return those animals."
Schnieder addressed the accusations during an interview with Fox 29.
"We never neglected them. We always made sure the gates were closed. We always made sure their harnesses were on them after we got them from ACS," she said.
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Najera's family said in a statement on GoFundMe that the grandfather was "an adventurous, outgoing and loving family man."
"He was recently put on dialysis but was determined to enjoy life to the fullest despite his health condition," according to the family statement.
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