Man mauled to death by dogs; dogs’ owner charged
By Carlos Castañeda
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OAKLAND, California (KPIX) — A man is facing charges in a horrific attack by three large dogs that left another man dead last weekend in Oakland, authorities said.
Oakland police said it was investigating a death that happened on September 1 on the 1600 block of 36th Avenue in East Oakland just before noon. Officers arrived to find a victim who had major injuries from multiple dog bites.
Medics arrived but the victim was pronounced deceased at the scene. One person was taken into custody following the dog attack, police said.
Police said the victim’s name was being withheld pending notification of his family. However, published reports identified the victim as 53-year-old Robert Holguin and the suspect as 57-year-old Brendan Thomas Burke, a friend of Holguin’s. Holguin had been staying at Burke’s property at the time of the attack, according to Bay Area News Group.
Burke has been charged with felony failure to control an animal killing a human. The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office said Burke was arraigned Thursday and released on his own recognizance.
Multiple reports said the dogs were three large Cane Corso and Neopolitan Mastiff mixes each weighing more than 100 pounds.
The Bay Area News Group reported Burke was running an errand when the dogs escaped through a hole in Burke’s fence and attacked Holguin who attempted to hide under a vehicle.
Police asked anyone with information about the attack to contact the department’s Criminal Investigations Division at (510) 535-5602 or the TIP LINE at 238-7950. People with photos or videos or photos that could assist investigators were asked to send them to cidvideos@oaklandca.gov.
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