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Tests try to figure dogs' role in death Published 01/04/05 00:00:00 Investigators hope tests of blood and saliva will determine whether a 6-year-old boy was killed by dogs in a neighborhood east of Clovis. Tyler Babcock died Sunday afternoon after what Fresno County Sheriff's Department investigators believe was an attack by as many as three dogs outside his grandparents' home near Leonard and Shaw avenues. The dogs, two pit bulls and a large mixed-breed, lived at a home south of the boy's grandparents and frequently were seen on the loose, neighbors said. Dr. Venu Gopal, senior forensic pathologist with the Fresno County Coroner's Office, said Monday that the injuries to the boy "are consistent with dog bites." "There are some injuries by the dogs," he said. Coroner's officials will determine whether those injuries are what killed Tyler. Gopal said investigators hope to compare DNA from the dogs' blood with saliva found on the boy's skin. They also will examine whether blood from the boy is on one or all three dogs that were impounded Sunday by the Central California Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "Does it really say the dogs killed the boy?" Gopal asked. "It doesn't. But once a few other things are ruled out, it could come down to that." Fresno County Assistant District Attorney Robert Ellis said dog owners may be charged in fatal attacks, depending on the circumstances and the facts surrounding a death. "The Sheriff's Office is actively gathering facts attendant to the tragic death of this youngster," Ellis said Monday, "and I presume we will receive a packet if they develop evidence of criminality involved in it." The law provides for either felony or misdemeanor charges in dog attacks, Ellis explained, adding that the death involves a "very circumstance-intensive investigation." Tyler's aunt, Jennie Babcock, said Monday that the boy's grandfather, Leonard Babcock, had asked the neighbors to keep their dogs off his property. "My dad told the people there to please keep their dogs locked up," she said. "Of course, we never would have thought something like this would happen." Jennie Babcock said Tyler loved animals and enjoyed playing with bugs, calling them "his bug friends." She said he also was very fond of a new bicycle he was given for Christmas, eight days before his death. She said his father, Matt Babcock, recently bought a house near his parents' after moving back to Fresno County from Pacific Grove. Matt Babcock and Tyler's mother, Chrystal, are divorced. "Now that Tyler was going to school, they thought it would be better if they lived in the same area, and it would be easier for both parents to be involved in his life," Jennie Babcock said. Fresno County records show Roxanne Montgomery owns the home where the dogs lived. A man at the home declined to answer questions Monday about the incident. Children's Hospital Central California spokeswoman Micheline Golden said the boy's death from a dog attack is the first in recent memory in the Valley. Last year, the hospital treated 133 children for dog bites, none of them fatal. In 2003, there were 117 victims, and 129 children were treated in 2002. The hospital serves nine counties in an area between Stockton and Bakersfield and the Sierra to the coast. California health officials reported one death statewide from a dog attack in 2002 and none in 2003. No figures are available for last year. William Johnson, who lives across the street from the dogs, said he has chased them from his property. "They came in the yard and got near my barn," he said. "We have a very small Chihuahua, and if they got to her they would have killed her." He said other neighbors also have had problems with the dogs. Bryan Anderson, who lives east of the property where the dogs live, said the dogs have intimidated his wife and 2-year-old daughter on several occasions. It got to the point that Anderson kept a gun in his toolbox when he worked outside. He said the dogs have charged his family on his property and were constantly loose. "They would come more onto my property when my daughter was around, so we stopped bringing her out," Anderson said. "When my daughter wasn't around, they would come up to the fence and bark at me." Counselors will be available today at Cedarwood Elementary School in Clovis, where Tyler attended kindergarten. Today is the first day of school following the holiday break that began Dec. 18. Principal Colin Hintergardt described Tyler as "a sweet little guy." "He was really just all boy." He said Tyler's teacher called all the families of his classmates to ensure they will not be surprised to learn of Sunday's incident. "I received at least a dozen phone calls from parents," Hintergardt said Monday. He said there will be a staff meeting in the morning and a school psychologist will be on campus along with counselors. A collection is being taken at Fashion Furniture, where Tyler's mother is employed, and a trust fund is being arranged at Memorial Methodist Church on Pollasky Avenue in Clovis. |
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