Screengrab / GoFundMe
81-year-old Air Force veteran, Ramon Najera, was killed when he was attacked by three pit bulls while visiting a friends house on San Antonio's West Side in February.
Christian Alexander Moreno and his wife Abilene Schnieder were both indicted on charges of dangerous dog attack, a second-degree felony, and injury to the elderly causing bodily injury. Moreno and Schneider could face up to 22 years in prison if convicted.
On Feb. 24, three American Staffordshire Terriers, a type of pit bull, owned by Moreno and Schnieder, escaped and attacked Ramon Najera Jr. while he was visiting a friend's house on the West Side. The dogs also attacked Najera's wife, Juanita, and a San Antonio Fire Department captain. However, both survived the assault.
The incident grabbed national headlines and ushered in a citywide conversation about San Antonio's stray dog problem.
"On behalf of the entire District Attorney's Office, our hearts go out to you and every member of your family for the tragic loss that you suffered," Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales said during a Thursday press conference streamed by TV station KSAT. "Folks, this community cries out for justice. It cries out for justice for the horrible act that occurred at the hands of these dog owners that knew better, and we will do everything we can to vigorously prosecute them."
Also in attendance at Thursday's presser were Najera's teary-eyed widow and State Rep. Elizabeth Campos, D-San Antonio, who authored the Ramon Najera Act. That legislation, vetoed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in June, would have increased criminal consequences for owners of aggressive dogs.
"Dog owners must be held accountable because dogs are a product of their owners," Campos told reporters. "This indictment today is a prime example that if you are an irresponsible dog owner, you will have consequences."
Moreno and Schnieder's indictments come as San Antonio City Council members weigh a 26% increase in Animal Care Services funding in the 2024 budget. Council will vote Sept. 14 to finalize that budget.
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