A 3-year-old boy was mauled to death by a neighbor’s pet dog within this cluster of homes on Fannie Head Road on Sunday.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 3:26 PM CDT
The Wayne Countycommunity will gather today to mourn 3-year-old Dustin Elijah Faulk-ner, killed by a neighbor’s pet dog on Fannie Head Road on Sunday.
The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. today (Wednesday) at House of Worship and Ministries.
Although the basic facts surrounding Eli’s death seem clear, investigators are still puzzled as to why the dog, a neighbor’s pet husky who had played with little Eli before, suddenly attacked. The dog was shot by its owner Aaron Ralph who attempted to rescue Eli at the scene.
According to Detective Bruce Williams of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, the dog had to break free from her collar on her chain before she could even reach the child.
“Basically, what happened was the little boy and his neighbor were walking between the houses away from the dogs,” Williams said.
“The dog that attacked could not have gotten to them if he hadn’t gotten off his leash.”
Eli was walking with another child, a 5-year-old girl who lived next door. He got a sand spur in his foot, and was crying out as his friend tried to remove it when Tasha, the dog, suddenly broke free from her collar and attacked.
“She ran inside and got her mother’s roommate,” Williams said.
“He pulled the dog off and shot the dog.”
Williams would not say at this point in the investigation whether or not there is any negligence involved in the case.
Sheriff John Carter said that to the best of his knowledge, there have not been any problems with this dog showing vicious tendencies before. Carter also said that at this point, the case does not seem likely to lead to criminal charges.
But the incident is still under investigation. Williams would not comment on any of the results of the investigation so far, or on why the two children were outdoors without adult supervision.
According to April Barkley of Jacksonville , Fla. , Eli was often left unattended and his mother had been reported to the Wayne County Department of Family and Children Services more than once before.
Barkley said that she reported mother Lillyann Robinson herself when she was visiting Jesup three months ago, upon seeing Eli with an extremely severe diaper rash.
Robert Gattis, interim DFCS director, said that he could not comment on whether or not the department has investigated the family in the past because of confidentiality requirements.
The sheriff’s office would not comment on where Robinson was at the time of the attack.
