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Pit bull’s owner jailed, faces several charges
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STILL CONFINED: This is the pit bull that reportedly attacked Toris Gonner, 10, of Youngstown while the child waited Friday at a bus stop on the city’s South Side. The dog’s owner appeared Monday in Youngstown Municipal Court on several charges, including harboring a vicious dog.
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Dustin Anglin
YOUNGSTOWN — The alleged owner of a pit bull that attacked a 10-year-old boy at a bus stop Friday is still being held in the Mahoning County jail on a $27,500 bond.
Dustin Anglin, 22, of South Heights Avenue appeared Monday morning via video from the jail for arraignment before Judge Elizabeth Kobly in Youngstown Municipal Court.
Anglin is charged with misdemeanor obstruction of justice, harboring a vicious dog and a prohibition against owning pit bulls. He also is facing a felony charge of not properly confining or restraining a vicious dog that has caused physical harm. Judge Kobly set his bond at $27,500 collectively on those charges.
He pleaded innocent to the misdemeanor charges; no plea was entered for the felony.
Anglin also had to answer to the judge for a pending assault charge for which he failed to show in court in July. Bond on that charge was previously set at $5,000 by Judge Robert Douglas of municipal court.
Toris Gonner and his 9-year-old sister, Vinnasia McGary, were walking to a school-bus stop at South Heights and Midlothian Boulevard Friday morning when a large brown and white pit bull dog and a smaller dog ran out as the two kids approached the corner.
Witnesses said the large dog immediately went after Toris, biting him on the leg and then running to Anglin’s small house nearest to the corner.
Vinnasia said she remembers the dog coming out and biting her brother. She said she was able to run and jump in a neighbor’s car when the dog came out.
Firefighters Chris Brown and Bill Palma, at a nearby fire station on Midlothian Boulevard, noticed the commotion and ran over to offer treatment to the bleeding boy.
Mahoning County Dog Warden Dave Nelson said Toris is now home recuperating. He said the boy has about five visible puncture wounds to his lower right leg and an open wound where tendon has been torn. He is recuperating but in pain, Nelson said.
Nelson said Anglin, at the time of the attack, told him that he did not own a pit bull and then left the residence, but Youngstown police officers arrived at the home minutes after the attack and could hear a large dog barking inside the house.
Before officers and animal control could enter the home by force, Anglin returned to the residence. About 15 minutes later he emerged from the house with a large brown and white pit bull.
A very reluctant, and seemingly afraid Vinnasia, identified the dog before the animal was placed in the county dog warden van. The dog is still being held by animal control.
jgoodwin@vindy.co