Warning: This story incorporates graphic content material.
Two pit bulls that mauled an Ohio grandmother to demise final 12 months have been left to roam freely regardless of their historical past of assaults, and even acquired right into a stash of cocaine weeks earlier than the incident, in line with a newly-filed lawsuit.
Jo Ann Echelbarger, 73, was killed by a pair of pit bulls named Apollo and Echo, which have been owned by suspects Susan and Adam Withers, on Oct. 17. The ugly incident happened at The Reserve at Ashton Village, a residential advanced in Ashville, Ohio.
In accordance with a go well with filed on behalf of Echelbarger’s household on Mar. 13, the decedent had solely lived on the advanced for a couple of months earlier than she was killed. The 2 pit bulls “ran around the Reserve’s common areas, eventually attacking Jo Ann while she was peacefully gardening.”
“Part of Jo Ann’s harm was the extreme and severe conscious physical and mental pain and suffering she experienced in the moments before, during and after being viciously attacked and prior to her death,” the submitting described. “Part of this was caught on some of the most gruesome videos one could ever envision.”
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Jo Ann Echelbarger, 73, was mauled to demise by two pit bulls whereas “peacefully gardening,” in line with a brand new lawsuit. (Handout / Google Maps)
The tragedy was made worse by Echelbarger’s life-long worry of canine, the lawsuit famous. The canine have been later killed by police.
“The attack and last moments of Jo Ann’s life were particularly terrifying because Jo Ann feared dogs since she had previously been bitten by a dog as a child,” the lawsuit acknowledged.
“In fact, the dogs were so aggressive and persistent in their menacing, violent, and aggressive behavior that the police were forced to shoot and kill the dogs to end the terror,” the go well with described. “And even after bullets hit one of the dogs, it returned to Jo Ann and continued to attack before running back into the Withers’ home.”
In accordance with the lawsuit, the October incident was not the primary time the canine had gotten into hassle. The doc lists a number of violent or disruptive incidents involving the canines – together with one Oct. 2023 incident the place Apollo attacked a resident and killed their canine.
The Withers’ canine have been reportedly ordered to depart the neighborhood in a Sept. 11 courtroom order that hadn’t been enforced, the lawsuit acknowledged.
Three weeks earlier than Echelbarger’s demise, on Sept. 27, police have been known as to see the canine as a result of “Echo and Apollo had ingested Adam Withers’ cocaine.”
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Jo Ann Echelbarger, pictured in an undated photograph together with her husband, was attacked by two pit bulls named Echo and Apollo. (Handout / Adam Withers by way of Fb)
“The physique cam footage of the incident reveals that Ashville PD known as the Warden’s Workplace to no avail,” the go well with stated.
In an announcement to Fox Information Digital, Rex H. Elliott, the lawyer representing Echelbarger’s household, accused the residential advanced and the Pickaway County Canine Warden of neglect within the state of affairs.
“The fact is that if the Dog Warden or Condo Association had done their jobs, Jo Ann Echelbarger would be alive today and her family would not have to live with this profound loss or the constant memory of the horrific nature in which she was killed,” Elliott stated.
“These failures resulted in the death of a wonderful 73-year-old wife, mother and grandmother.”
Adam Withers and his mom, Susan Withers, have been each arrested over the incident. (Pickaway County Sheriff’s Workplace)
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Fox Information Digital reached out to the attorneys representing the Withers, however didn’t obtain a response in time for publication.
