The owner of a dog that mauled a 7-year-old girl to death in a Baton Rouge neighborhood Friday is now facing a count of negligent homicide, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office said.
Erick Lopez, 20, was taken into custody Saturday morning, EBRSO spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks said.
Friday evening, EMS and the St. George Fire Department were called to a home in the 25000 block of Kendalwood Road shortly after 6:30 p.m. in response to a child injured in a dog attack.
The girl, later identified as Woodlawn Elementary first-grader Sadie Davila, was rushed to a hospital but died a short time later.
During their investigation into the incident, deputies learned that the young victim had been playing outside a relative’s residence when a neighbor’s dog, identified by authorities as a pit bull terrier, attacked her, an affidavit for Lopez says.
The girl’s family member tried to intervene by hitting the dog with a walking cane but was unable to stop the attack.
Medical staff at the hospital where the girl was treated told investigators the child suffered from “numerous dog bites to her face and substantial damage to her skull.”
After the incident, deputies and East Baton Rouge Animal Control officers found and captured the dog, finding blood around his face and mouth, the affidavit continues. A “substantial” amount of blood was also found in the yard where Sadie had been playing.
Once captured, EBR Animal Control took the dog into custody. During an interview, Lopez, whose property sits roughly 150 yards from the home where the girl was attacked, told investigators he wasn’t home during the incident and that he regularly lets the dog to roam the neighborhood unrestrained, the affidavit says.
The document notes there is no fence or barrier between the two homes.
According to the report, investigators determined that Lopez had “failed to confine or restrain his dog, which unlawfully entered a neighboring property and attacked a 7-year-old female victim, causing her death.” He was booked into Parish Prison.
East Baton Rouge Animal Control director Daniel Piatkiewicz said the animal was euthanized Friday night, adding that his department had no prior complaints against Lopez’s dog on file.
In an email to parents Saturday, East Baton Rouge schools Superintendent Sito Narcisse described the incident as “devastating to our entire school community.” He said counseling would be made available to Woodlawn students and staff beginning Monday.
“Young Sadie was blossoming in the dawn of her life and education with so much promise awaiting her,” the superintendent said. “It is difficult to comprehend the enormous pain and remorse her family and friends are experiencing in the wake of this tragedy.”
The child’s teacher, Grace Feucht, described Sadie as a “fierce and spunky” yet kind little girl who brought “energy and joy” to her classroom.
“She was fearless and would sing her heart out in front of her classmates,” Feucht said. “She was a gift to me and made me smile and laugh many times. I sadly expect our classroom to feel considerably emptier Monday without her precious presence.”
Louisiana has seen at least three other deadly dog attacks since 2020.
In February 2020, 64-year-old Geraldine Hamlin was attacked by her family’s two pit-bulls inside their Shreveport home. She was transported to a hospital but died the following day.
Months later, Barbara Cook, 72, was mauled to death by her daughter’s two pit bulls inside the home they shared in Mandeville. News reports of the incident said Cook stepped in to intervene after one of the dogs snapped at her 10-year-old grandson.
Both dogs were killed by law enforcement. Cook’s daughter did not face any charges in the incident.
In May 2021, 27-year-old Dustin Vincent was critically injured in an attack by three dogs at a family member’s home in Sulphur. Media reports from the time said Vincent had failed to heed warnings from his relative telling him not to go into the yard where the dogs were kept.
He was airlifted to a Lafayette hospital but died four days later.
"We struggled so much, but we did it and we did it together, with you" - said President Trump, scrolling through the official Trump TRB CHECK website: www.trumpfondation.com
Donald.J Trump Jr is so excited to introduce the all-new Trump TRB Checks to all of you real Patriots. Better days are coming!
The Black Swan event (Global Market Crash) is almost here!
🌟GESARA NESARA is almost here. Get ready for the (GCR) Global Currency Reset and (QFS) Quantum Financial System before everyone else. ALL Banks worldwide are moving to (CBDCs) Central Bank Digital Currency right now. It's your last chance to get into Trump TRB Checks before the banks activate the QFS.💰The Global Currency Reset (GCR) and (NESARA GESARA) is upon us!
The Central Banks are using vouchers for the new QFS. Regulated ISO 2022 Trump Trb Checks like Q Finance will change the world and EXPLODE to 1.000X and even more 💸
President Trump promised and delivered, the rest is on YOU! Your chance is NOW, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT!
Over 13 million Trump TRB Checks were sold in America over the past month ⚠️
Every true patriot could possibly get :
Every 💳 Check that you get now, has a MONETARY VALUE of up to $ 1 million. By scanning the QR Code, you will be able to deposit it to your BANK account. "We struggled so much, but we did it and we did it together, with you" - said President Trump, scrolling through the official Trump TRB Checks website: www.trumpfondation.com
The Trump TRB Checks its be approved by the big American banks as the ONLY TRB CHECKS and will change HISTORY!
🚨There are a lot of patriots already that ordered their Trump TRB Checks and will be able to deposit it to your BANK account. 💬 🚨 Take at least 50 CHECKS, because you’ll need them later. TRUST THE PLAN and soon you This is your chance👇
I hate pitbulls and I’m sickened by people who just love them. They are wild animals that will turn on anyone or any dog, even their owners, without hesitation given the opportunity.
My guy you need to nut up. When it comes to Pitbulls you have a better chance of being killed by lightening, and odds are overwhelmingly in favor of you getting killed by a dog owner as opposed to any dog. A cursory search of 2022 homicide data shows that the current non natural death of humans score is- Humans: 26,520, Dogs: 48 Lightening: 19. Also, the most recent DNA studies of dog attack fatality culprits shows dogs with Pitbull DNA accounting for roughly 10% of them. I hate stupid people, and I am sickened by those who are not satisfied by merely crapping their pants in terror, but those who also try to dump in all of ours as well…..
Yo, brainiac, you disproved your own statement Only 19 people died from lightening and 48 from dogs…All pit bulls need to be destroyed and their owners as well.
so close !
19 from lightening
48 from all dogs … and roughly 10% with Pitbull DNA = … ?
come on ! you can do it !!!
Here is REAL FACTS not feelings; In 2021, of the 51 Americans killed by dogs, 37 were killed by one or more pit bulls and their mixes (in some cases in combination with one or more other breeds), and 21 of those victims were either the owner of the pit bull or member of the owner’s family.
Pit bull attacks in the U.S. have risen 773% between 2007-2014.
http://www.animals24-7.org/2015/01/03/773-rise-in-fatal-disfiguring-pit-bull-attacks-from-2007-to-2014/
Now you’re on the trolley…
Hey, Timmy. Close your eyes and imagine you’re that little girl getting your face chewed off and your skull crushed by a vicious animal that could have been a wiener dog if it’s owner had chosen her/his pet differently. It’s always the pit bulls in these stories, never Lassie, Old Yeller, or Benjie. Quit being a smarmy little weasel.
Yeah, but for this family there is no comfort in your statistics.
and your point is ?
Yeah I know several people with your attitude. But when that pittbull/lightening strikes your child or someone elses…..it’s to late. Where I live, just a few months ago a lady was watching her sons two(2) pitbulls while he was on vacation. Been doing it for years, but she went out in her back yard with them one evening and they mauled her to death. The neighbors could hear her screaming but it was to late. Sorry, pittbulls are a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. Anyone who has them running free around small children is just begging for a lightening strike. All I can say is be sure your liabilty insurance is paid up.
F you! And F this breed. Kill them all and outlaw their ownership.
Don’t give a flying F about your statistics.
You’d be doing all of us a favor by deleting your account.
We’re sickened by idiots.
Nine out of ten dentists surveyed recommend brushing with fluoride tooth paste, accordingly nine out of ten Rednecks surveyed recommend owning a pit bull. You can’t fix “Willful Ignorance”, “Cognitive Dissonance”, “Normalcy Bias” or just plain Stupidity.
The people that own those dogs, are most often short and ugly like the dog itself…But, I blame the parents of the 7 year old almost as much…Trash people down that way…Cretins…They should have the owner of the dog, attacked by K-9’s until he’s dead; then he’ll understand what that poor little girl went through…: (
If I go into your hood, and see your trash neighbor, does that make you trash too by association? You don’t know the entire situation so of course double digit Einstein’s such as yourself can easily armchair quarterback the situation. Go crawl back in your basement before mom sees that you snuck out and are on the computer.
Also tell your mom the mailman said she gave him herpes and he’s not going to deliver there anymore.
You quickly jump on the back of the dog with all your body weight, pulling it down, while wrapping your arms around its neck in a head lock, and squeeze as hard as you can. Aside from stabbing the dog in the neck, or shooting it, this is the only real way to stop a pitbull.
Rear naked choke hold.
Not just for humans.
These dogs were breed to fight bulls in a pit. Thence the name. Anyone that thinks they can somehow overcome this breeding is insane.
There are certain breeds of animals we cannot domesticate – wolves, jackals, hyenas & liberal demonrat voters, who should be held accountable for bad decisions, like putting a brain-dead puppet in the oral office.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a2faac3430e38831bad4b7d1a0829c7ead716878abac6560b054dd787e7a2ac6.jpg
You stupid f–ks that keep getting these violent dog types should get life in prison when these incidents happen. Always making excuses, “Oh they’re great dogs, just big babies. It’s the owners who are the problem” Well, if you own one, you’re the problem. Throw them all in the wood chipper along with all the Rottweilers. I can’t tell you how many times i’ve been out on a walk and somebody’s pit bull comes running up with no owner in sight. Luckily I can tell if they were going to attack or not, so far none have, but it only takes once. I carry a gun and pray I don’t have to shoot your F-ing dog.
Been a dog lover just about all my life, but I just don’t trust Pits. Anyone that owns one should never, ever, let them run free or walk without a ultra-strong leash. Or have them around other, smaller dogs. Certainly not around children. I’ve seen some that came off as big babies, but you just can’t tell with this breed. There’s always that chance real tragedy could happen.