LANCASTER — The owner of a dog that attacked two children in Lancaster last year pleaded guilty to not properly securing the animal.
Luis Colon-Colon, 42, of Pottsville, Schuylkill County, was charged with six misdemeanors and three summary charges stemming from the June 19, 2017 attack on Lafayette Street.
According to police, Colon-Colon’s dog broke through a fence and ran loose along Lafayette Street until it came upon two children ages, 2 and 5, who were buckled into child seats in the back of a minivan. The dog got inside the vehicle and attacked both children, police say. With the assistance of several bystanders, the children’s mother managed to pull the dog out of the van.
The victims’ mother was also bitten in the attack, police say.
The children sustained bites to their faces and bodies, and are both still receiving medical treatment for their injuries.
Police investigation of the incident showed that the dog had been involved in another, unreported attack in July 2013. In that incident, the dog bit a 4-year-old grandchild of the dog’s owner, but the bite had not been reported to authorities.
The dog was euthanized on June 30, 2017.
County Judge Margaret Miller ordered the following sentence after accepting Colon-Colon’s guilty plea:
- 7 years of probation
- $600 fines and court costs
- $54,641 in restitution
- A ban from having a dog as a pet during probation period
The judge said she did not order a prison term, in part, so Colon-Colon can start making restitution payments, according to Assistant District Attorney Christine L. Wilson, who prosecuted the case.
Wilson asked the judge to consider the children will likely require treatment for years to come.
The victims did not appear in court Monday.
In all, Colon-Colon pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of dog attack causing serious injury (three counts) and reckless endangerment (three counts), and three summary violations.
