72-Year-Old Freed of Charge Involving Unmuzzled Dog Attack on Minor

Mario Sandoval

A seventy-two-year-old retired Belizean was freed today of a charge involving an unmuzzled ferocious dog that attacked a young school girl. Mario Sandoval was charged in April 2018 after his dog attacked and bit the eleven year-old Hummingbird Primary School student, gripping her hand and then dragging her. Today in the courtroom of Magistrate Emmerson Banner, Sandoval, whose attorney was Brandon Usher, managed to get him to walk free of the charge. After evidence was presented in the part-heard trial that began in the earlier this year, the prosecution was unable to show any intent to cause harm by the owner of the dog.  With that, Magistrate Banner did not call the elderly man to answer to the charge.  Claire Alamilla could not say who opened the door of Sandioval’s house when she was attacked.  The prosecution also called her mother and the Woman Police Constable who investigated the incident. Sandoval was acquitted though he told the police officer that the dog belonged to him. But the officer and her superior were never able to view and inspect the ferocious dog as it was put down after the horrifying incident.   Claire reported to police that she was attacked on her right arm when a dog bolted at her after Sandoval’s gate was opened in the Belama area of Belize City. The dog she said, dragged her on the street until a woman rescued her and took her to the K.H.M.H.  While the case against Sandoval ended in his acquittal, the Alamilla family was told that they can take out a civil suit against Sandoval at the Supreme Court for damages.