Shutterstock / Roman Motizov
Both Christian Alexander Moreno and his wife, Abilene Schnieder, were sentenced to prison time.
State District Judge Velia Meza handed owner Christian Alexander Moreno an 18-year sentence, while his wife, Abilene Schnieder, got 15 years. Each was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.
The couple’s sentencing ended a year-long saga that grabbed international headlines and sparked a community debate about San Antonio’s troubled Animal Care Services department.
Najera was visiting a friend on the West Side in February 2023 when two pit bulls belonging to Moreano and Schnieder escaped from the couple’s yard and attacked the 81-year-old man. Najera later died from his injuries.
“What happened to Mr. Najera was an unspeakable horror that is going to resonate in our community for a very long time,” Judge Meza said during proceedings. “Unlike other cases I have presided over, this one is different. It is different because we’re not dealing with an intentional act … . It was a case of criminally negligent behavior.”
Both Moreno and Schnieder will have to serve a quarter of their sentence before they're eligible for parole. Neither expressed much emotion in the courtroom after the sentencing, but Moreno did kiss his wife, who was handcuffed and standing beside him, on her forehead, the Express-News reports.
During Friday's sentencing, Judge Meza also ripped into the city and its ACS department.
During the trial, city officials testified that the couple’s dogs were not listed as dangerous because none of the neighbors — some of whom testified that the dogs had been a well-known nuisance — came forward to file a dangerous dog affidavit.
“After hearing from the neighbors on Delta and Darby Street, I find the testimony I heard from the city of San Antonio very difficult to believe,” Meza said.
Najera's family filed a lawsuit against the city of San Antonio earlier this month. The petition, filed in state district court in the Alamo City, alleges city officials knew that the dogs had been involved in previous attacks but did nothing.
“The city of San Antonio is not on trial here, and they will have their day in court and their lawsuit to contend with," Meza said.
Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter| Or sign up for our RSS Feed
