PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Two Plymouth Township residents have been charged after three dogs allegedly attacked a jogger in March, leaving the man seriously injured.
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The victim, a 64-year-old man, suffered severe injuries and was transported to a Metro Detroit hospital, where he underwent extensive treatment, according to Plymouth Township Police Chief James Knittel Jr.
Following an investigation, the Plymouth Township Police Department submitted the case to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, which authorized felony charges against the dogs’ owners.
On Friday (May 8), Kelita Yolanda Jackson-Holland was arraigned in 35th District Court on three felony counts of dangerous animal causing serious injury.
Each charge carries a potential four-year prison sentence.
Jackson-Holland received a $75,000 unsecured bond.
Conditions of her release include wearing a GPS tether, no possession of animals or firearms, and no contact with the victim.
Edward Alan Turner was arraigned on one felony count of dangerous animal causing serious injury, also a four-year felony.
Turner received a $25,000 unsecured bond with similar conditions, including a GPS tether, no possession of animals or firearms, and no contact with the victim.
A preliminary examination for both defendants is scheduled for May 29 in the 35th District Court in Plymouth.
Police said the attack involved a pit bull and two cane corsos.
Officers responding to the scene reported the dogs also pursued them as they attempted to stop the attack.
One cane corso was captured at the scene, while another was found a short distance away.
One of the cane corsos later died, police said, and the surviving dog was taken to the Humane Society.
Authorities searched for the third dog, a pit bull, for several days with assistance from neighboring agencies and drone teams before the animal was captured on March 31 at Fairgrounds Park in Plymouth.
Police said the pit bull became aggressive toward officers during the encounter and was shot after charging at them.
The dog fled before officers later captured it near Ann Arbor Road and transported it for medical treatment.
Investigators believe the dogs escaped from a contained area at a Plymouth Township residence and may have been loose the day before the attack.
Police said they had received reports of three loose dogs matching the animals’ descriptions on March 27, but were unable to locate them at the time.
The victim was initially treated in intensive care and has since stabilized.