Ohio has seen some extraordinary pit bull stories recently. We are going to talk about three that caught my interest.
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Dogfighting is as good place as any to begin.
Dateline Akron Ohio. All the classic elements are here, pit bulls, dog fighting, felons (many with prior legal difficulties, don't miss Charles Roderick) gambling, drugs, marijuana grow operation, and guns.
Forty seven people were charged with dog fighting after a raid on a Cordova Avenue property. One hundred Akron Policemen, two SWAT teams, and Summit County deputies participated in the raid. Cleveland.com calls this "the largest dogfighting bust in recent history." In addition to the arrests police seized $51,000 in cash, 11 vehicles, two guns, and eight pit bulls, two in the ring and six more ready to fight.
Consider the salary and overtime for one hundred law enforcement officers. I digress.
Preparations for getting the dogs ready to fight included stabbing the dogs prior to putting them in the ring. Recent changes to Ohio law set the stage for this, no restrictions on pit bulls you know. Pit bull advocacy demanded it.
The raid was described, picture this "The home is surrounded by fencing, including one side that has an electric fence, police said. When they burst through the gates and raided a two-car garage in the backyard, they found two pit bulls fighting.
People scattered when officers burst into the garage. The fence, however, kept most of the people there inside the yard.
"They were all blocked in" "It was a zoo. People were running everywhere and throwing money and drugs to the ground."
Police eventually caught 47 people, including one who ran around the block but was eventually caught, court records say. "
Those charged came from Akron, Cleveland, Warrensville Heights, Canton, Bedford Heights and Elyria in Ohio. The ring also included upstanding citizens from Indiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and California. Everyone arrested faces fourth degree felony animal cruelty charges in Akron Municipal Court, bonds range between $10,000 to $100,000. The Summit County Grand Jury will see this bunch on November 25th. The Grand Jury will have a long day.
Nasty stuff goes on behind these gates on Cordova Avenue. Karen Banks and Alvin Crosby are the proprietors.
This is a quote from Cleveland.com "Banks had $220 cash on him during the raid and officers found Crosby inside the living room with a marijuana-growing operation, court record say. Investigators found 14 plants and specialized equipment, including lights, a generator and chemicals, court records say.
At least 24 others had cash on them when arrested, according to court records, including Carlton Davis, 41, of Gary, Ind., who had $3,290 in his pockets.
In all, police seized more than $21,000 from people charged in the case.
Several fled from officers during the raid, including Malik Knox who was eventually caught around the block with $796, court records say. Knox, 35, admitted to watching dog fighting at the home, court records say.
Another was found hiding by a fence and another person was found sleeping on the back porch of the home during the raid, court records say.
One man who was arrested also faces charges in connection with a Jan. 20 home invasion that turned into a shootout with the resident.
Charles Roderick, 40, faces charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and felonious assault in connection with the incident.
In that case, he broke into a home in the 200 block of Mustill Court and threatened a man and his two children at gunpoint, court records say. Roderick threatened the man's daughter, and the man fired several gunshots at Roderick, hitting him in the neck.
Roderick and another man fired back while the children hid behind a wall, court records say."Upstanding citizens all.
The concession stand for the dog fight attendees.
The pit.
You don't want the police to catch you with a pocket full of cash at a dog fight.
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Dateline DeGraff Ohio. Peaceful people who don't want to live next door to pit bull owners can identify with this story. Derrick Triplett, age 23, apparently living at home with his mother, has been cited for dog at large and has received a letter from the city telling him that his fence is does not meet local code. A neighbor stated that one of Triplett's pit bulls menaced her, she was unable to get out of her car and called 911 for assistance in going from her car to her house. It has been reported that Triplett's loose pit bulls have been a neighborhood problem for two full years now, children are being kept in the house for their safety. The menacing was the final straw. Triplett has received a bit of special treatment. The print article in the Springfield News-Sun talks about Triplett's "dogs" but the video makes it clear that the dogs are pit bulls.
Triplett's mother has stated the dog that menaced the neighbor has been put down but she declined to say anything more about other dogs that her son might own. Her son has not been so discreet. Derrick has posted photos of his pit bulls on his public Facebook page.
Derrick calls this one "the baddest pit bitch that ever lived"
Derrick misses this one.
Per the Springfield News Sun "Chief George Piersall of he DeGraff Police Department said responding to complaints about the Koke Street home uses a lot of his department's resources. 'It's just a constant nuisance" Peirsall said. DeGraff Police Department and Logan County Sheriff records show Triplett has a history of domestic violence, aggravated menacing and vandalism charges in DeGraff. "
Don't miss the video. The reporter clarified the police chief's remarks. Triplett has made death threats against his neighbor and her husband. He has also nearly bitten off his own brother's finger. Charming.
As for the fence, records show that Triplett has had a permit for the fence since the spring of 2013 but is apparently in no rush. The video includes current shots of the fence, an trashy assortment of boards and chicken wire. Mr. Triplett's neighbors have been very patient but it looks like they have had enough
Dateline Columbus Ohio.
Jada the unfortunate pit bull was taken as a foster by Greg and Nikki Montjoy on a Friday evening in August. Jada came from the I Have a Dream Rescue of Columbus Ohio.
The Montjoy's have an eight year old daughter, two Chihuahuas and a kitten at home. They are experienced at fostering dogs and Jada looked like one that needed a break. The first few days were a dream. Nikki Montjoy called herself a potential foster failure because she and Greg had thoughts of making Jada a permanent member of the family.
You can probably guess where this story is going. Fast forward to Sunday (yes, just the third day in the Montjoy home) per ABC8 News " But on Sunday night, their 8-year-old daughter began crying.
Nikki was comforting her. As she was doing so, Jada jumped up on Nikki and started barking.
Greg, Nikki's husband, immediately told Jada “no.”
"It went from playful and cuddly to kill in the blink of an eye," said Greg.
Jada was in a full attack."Nikki stated "the dog just kept going sort of like a viper, you know it just kept hitting." "By the time I looked at Greg there was blood everywhere, and when I say everywhere I'm not being dramatic, it was on our wall, it was across the carpet, it was spraying out to the back of the computer screen."
Nikki rushed her daughter to another room and returned to throw a blanket over Jada and drag the attacking dog to a bathroom. Nikki describes Jada's reaction as "trying to lunge through the blanket at me." Nikki twice slammed Jada into a toilet in an attempt halt the attack, not unreasonable in light of the unprovoked violence.
Greg Montjoy's injuries were so severe that he spent three days in the hospital running up a $5000 medical bill. At this point the Montjoys learned that I Have a Dream Rescue may have a dream but what they did not have was insurance. As so frequently happens, the victim became financially responsible for the bills.
Per the Montjoys, after the attack they learned that they were not Jada's first foster family. Jada had been returned to I Have a Dream by another foster because she had bitten. Greg told a reporter "“I know there is assumed risk taking a pit bull into my house,” “But at the same time, I have the head of the rescue assuring me that this is a great dog that has been fully evaluated and is perfectly safe in my house."
A lawyer for the rescue said that the Montjoys were told about "Jada's temperament and background prior to her placement in their home." Somehow I have reservations on this. Who might bring a known violent pit bull into a home with a child, two Chihuahuas, and a kitten? Click here for more information.
I Have a Dream Rescue removed Jada from the Montjoy home and she was reportedly euthanized the day after the attack. The Facebook page for I Have a Dream Rescue, lively for a few days, has been scrubbed of any reference to Jada. Prior to the scrubbing Misti Martin-Fuller promised to pay the medical bills for Greg Montjoy out of her own pocket so that those who have donated to I Have a Dream would be confident that donations they had made would go to care of the dogs. The blogger at Dogs Bite Decatur caught this post. Thank you Dogs Bite Decatur!
Hellooo April, it has been admitted that Jada bit her first foster and was returned to I Have a Dream then placed with the Montjoys, their child, their two little dogs, and their kitten. Even the lawyer admits it. BTW, here is a link to the foster agreement for I Have a Dream, is it new since the Montjoy mauling? Here is a bullet point " Any injuries requiring medical care sustained by foster parent, their family and their pets from a foster animal shall be paid for by the foster parent and IHADRO will not be held liable for said medical costs" Suspect that it may be difficult for the organization to recruit fosters in the future. Who would sign this?
I did save one comment from the discussion on the I Have a Dream Facebook page. A local pit bull advocate interprets the attack on Greg Montjoy. Of course he blames the victims, ignoring the previous attack by the very same dog. A pit bull with a history of going pit and biting a foster goes pit again and mauls another foster? No... too simple.
Mark Dunigan Sometimes it's what isn't said...my feeling at this point is mom was physical with her daughter,dicipline of some sort,and Jada reacted to it.Dad intervenes,gets physical with Jada and she defends herself.Mom admitted to beating Jadas head against the toilet,dad claims she turned on him for telling her "no",both red flags,and after watching the report I seriously doubt the possibility of the event occurring because a mother was comforting her child and a dad said "no" to Jada because it just doesn't make sense and is highly uncharacteristic of a dogs behavior.
Like · Reply · 7 · November 13 at
1:24pm
For more information about I Have a Dream Rescue (motto, "I have a dream... that one day no dog will be persecuted for the shape of their head. Every day I fight for that dream.")click here. News flash, nobody cares about the shape of the dog's head, they care about being mauled.
Misti Martin-Fuller of I have a Dream Rescue, also known as pittieprincess70 on Instagram, and Ms. McFlyness on Twitter for those who might chose to follow her.
Below is Martin-Fuller's tribute to Jada. Note Jada's bandana "Kissable, huggable, adoptable".
