Shutterstock / Roman Motizov
Each Christian Alexander Moreno and his spouse, Abilene Schnieder, have been sentenced to jail time.
The San Antonio couple charged within the grisly canine assault that killed aged Air Pressure veteran Ramon Najera Jr. final 12 months obtained a mixed 33 years in jail through the sentencing portion of their trial.
State District Choose Velia Meza handed proprietor Christian Alexander Moreno an 18-year sentence, whereas his spouse, Abilene Schnieder, obtained 15 years. Every was additionally ordered to pay a $5,000 nice.
The couple’s sentencing ended a year-long saga that grabbed worldwide headlines and sparked a group debate about San Antonio’s troubled Animal Care Companies division.
Najera was visiting a buddy on the West Facet in February 2023 when two pit bulls belonging to Moreano and Schnieder escaped from the couple’s yard and attacked the 81-year-old man. Najera later died from his accidents.
“What occurred to Mr. Najera was an unspeakable horror that’s going to resonate in our group for a really very long time,” Choose Meza mentioned throughout proceedings. “Not like different instances I’ve presided over, this one is completely different. It’s completely different as a result of we’re not coping with an intentional act … . It was a case of criminally negligent conduct.”
Each Moreno and Schnieder should serve 1 / 4 of their sentence earlier than they’re eligible for parole. Neither expressed a lot emotion within the courtroom after the sentencing, however Moreno did kiss his spouse, who was handcuffed and standing beside him, on her brow, the Specific-Information stories.
Throughout Friday’s sentencing, Choose Meza additionally ripped into the town and its ACS division.
In the course of the trial, metropolis officers testified that the couple’s canine weren’t listed as harmful as a result of not one of the neighbors — a few of whom testified that the canine had been a well known nuisance — got here ahead to file a harmful canine affidavit.
“After listening to from the neighbors on Delta and Darby Avenue, I discover the testimony I heard from the town of San Antonio very troublesome to consider,” Meza mentioned.
Najera’s household filed a lawsuit in opposition to the town of San Antonio earlier this month. The petition, filed in state district court docket within the Alamo Metropolis, alleges metropolis officers knew that the canine had been concerned in earlier assaults however did nothing.
“The town of San Antonio isn’t on trial right here, and they’ll have their day in court docket and their lawsuit to cope with,” Meza mentioned.
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