![\"Dead](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.animals24-7.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Picsart_25-05-27_21-53-11-095-e1748408029393.jpg?ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/p>\n(Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n NEW YORK CITY;\u00a0 SAN ANTONIO,\u00a0 Texas\u2013<\/strong>\u2013Pit bulls,\u00a0 poor adult judgement,\u00a0 and poverty were the common elements linking the 6:30 a.m. May 27,\u00a0 2025 fatal mauling of a month-old Queens girl, \u00a0as she lay in bed between her parents, \u00a0and the October 7,\u00a0 2024 death of one-year-old Jiryiah Johnson in San Antonio,\u00a0 Texas,\u00a0 as his 13-year-old emergency babysitter frantically fought three pit bulls to try to save him.<\/p>\n ANIMALS 24-7<\/strong> extensively reported about the Jiryiah Johnson case when it happened.\u00a0 The case is now back in the news as result of a million-dollar-plus lawsuit filed on May 13,\u00a0 2025.<\/p>\n See Texas 13-year-old fought three pit bulls in losing battle to save baby boy<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0 and much more below.<\/p>\n (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The New York Daily News<\/em> put six reporters on the May 27,\u00a0 2025 fatality,\u00a0 occurring at the Queensbridge Houses North,\u00a0 a project building owned by the New York City Housing Authority.<\/p>\n The New York City Housing Authority has banned pit bulls,\u00a0 Rottweilers,\u00a0 and Doberman pinschers from inception in 1937,\u00a0 gradually loosening a prohibition on keeping any pets to allow most other dogs.<\/p>\n Why the reportedly six-week-old pit bull\/German shepherd mix who killed the month-old baby was in the Queensbridge Houses to begin with was among the many questions raised by residents of nearby apartments to New York Daily News<\/em> reporters Joe Marino, \u00a0Kevin Sheehan, \u00a0and Amanda Woods.<\/p>\n \u201cThe family\u2019s puppy chewed \u200boff part of [the baby\u2019s] face,\u00a0 cops and sources said,\u201d\u00a0 wrote Marino,\u00a0 Sheehan,\u00a0 and Woods in their joint coverage.<\/p>\n \u201cThe baby\u2019s mother, \u00a027, \u00a0called 911 just after 6:30 a.m.<\/p>\n \u201cThe dog bit off a \u200b\u2018substantial portion\u200b\u2019 of the \u200bface of the baby \u2014 who had just been born April 13, \u00a0sources said.\u201d<\/p>\n (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Neighbor Shanel Norville told the New York Daily News<\/em> team\u200b,\u00a0 \u200b\u201dI saw that baby \u200btwo days ago.\u00a0 Mother was standing right here holding the baby waiting for the elevato\u200br.<\/p>\n \u201cThen she went back\u200b, \u00a0forgot something\u200b, \u00a0and the dog\u200b, \u00a0who wasn\u2019t on the leash, \u00a0is never on a leash, \u00a0was never on a leash, walked onto the elevator by himself and went down and got off on some floor\u200b.<\/p>\n \u201dI told her,\u201d\u00a0 Norville recounted, \u00a0\u201c\u200b\u2019That dog needs to be on a leash.\u200b\u2019 \u00a0She said\u200b, \u2018No\u200b, \u00a0this dog don\u2019t bite\u200b.\u2019\u00a0 I said\u200b, \u200b\u2019All dogs bite. \u00a0That dog needs to be on a leash\u200b.\u2019 \u00a0And she just looked at me like \u2018Whatever.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n (Beth Clifton collage) <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n New York Daily News<\/em> reporters Colin Mixson, Rocco Parascandola,\u00a0 and Thomas Tracy meanwhile dug into the background.<\/p>\n \u201cThe infant\u2019s mother was adopted at age two, \u00a0one of nine children raised by the adoptive mother.\u00a0 The infant is survived by an older brother,\u201d\u00a0 Mixxon,\u00a0 Parascandola,\u00a0 and Tracy wrote.<\/p>\n The adoptive mother of the mother of the victim \u201ctold the Daily News<\/em> that she had offered to take the newborn in while the mom, \u00a0who was living in a shelter at the time, \u00a0was trying to secure better housing,\u201d\u00a0 Mixxon,\u00a0 Parascandola,\u00a0 and Tracy said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be better if she gave me the baby,\u201d \u00a0the mother\u2019s adoptive mom continued to Mixxon,\u00a0 Parascandola,\u00a0 and Tracy. \u201cThis wouldn\u2019t have happened.<\/p>\n \u201cI learned that she was pregnant maybe a couple days before she gave birth,\u201d\u00a0 the adoptive mother of the mother of the victim said.\u00a0 \u201cAfter she gave birth, she loved the baby. \u00a0I asked her if she had any problems and if she wanted to give me the baby. \u00a0She said no, \u00a0she\u2019d take care of her. She would manage.\u201d<\/p>\n (Beth Clifton collage) <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Wrote Mixxon,\u00a0 Parascandola,\u00a0 and Tracy,\u00a0 \u201cThe adoptive mom had not yet gotten to meet her new granddaughter when she learned of her death.<\/p>\n \u201cHow could they have a dog with a baby?\u201d she asked. \u201cThe dog shouldn\u2019t be in the house.\u201d<\/p>\n Actually there were two dogs in the small apartment,\u00a0 Mixxon,\u00a0 Parascandola,\u00a0 and Tracy indicated.\u00a0 Both are believed to have been impounded by the Animal Care Centers of NYC.<\/p>\n Father Julian Johnson, victim Jiryiah Johnson, and mother Erika Monique Castro.<\/strong><\/em> Meanwhile in San Antonio,\u00a0 reported Jordan Elder for WOAI News 4, \u00a0\u201cHeather Rodriguez,\u201d\u00a0 whose three pit bulls killed Jiryiah Johnson,\u00a0 \u201cis now facing charges for her role in his death. \u00a0She is expected to go to trial in July 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cAttorney Steve Dummitt filed the [million-dollar-plus] lawsuit on behalf of Erika Castro and Julian Johnson,\u201d\u00a0 parents of Jiryiah Johnson,\u00a0 Elder said.<\/p>\n \u201cRodriguez is named,\u201d\u00a0 though the fatality occurred in part because she had next to nothing,\u00a0 \u201calong with Blackstone Inc., \u00a0a significant player in the single-family rental housing market\u201d nationally.<\/p>\n \u201cThe lawsuit,\u201d\u00a0 Elder summarized,\u00a0 that Blackstone \u201cknew or should have known of the dangerous dogs residing on their property,\u00a0 who had eaten through the doors and who posed a danger to the minor children living in the house.\u201d<\/p>\n Steve Dummitt.\u00a0 (Carlson Law Firm photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Continued Elder,\u00a0 \u201cThe lawsuit also reveals new information about the events leading up to Jiryiah\u2019s death,\u201d\u00a0 or at least adds detail to the circumstances that ANIMALS 24-7 <\/strong>already described.<\/p>\n \u201cHeather Rodriguez got called into work with her employer, \u00a0PepsiCo,\u201d\u00a0 Elder recounted, \u00a0\u2018and asked her thirteen-year-old daughter not to go to school and to take care of Jiryiah all by herself,\u2019 \u00a0the filing says, \u00a0adding that Jiryiah\u2019s parents were not informed of this.\u201d<\/p>\n Said attorney Dummitt in a prepared media statement,\u00a0 \u201cSan Antonio has recently experienced an epidemic of fatal dog attacks and my clients hope that this lawsuit can not only bring awareness to the public but prevent the next attack from happening. \u00a0Hopefully, \u00a0the city, \u00a0the district attorney, \u00a0and other enforcement authorities can take special attention to this issue and hold negligent dog owners and landlords accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n Castro,\u00a0 a restaurant server despite being both a dental school graduate and educationally qualified to be a nurse\u2019s aide,\u00a0 asked Rodriguez to look after Jiryiah while she was working;\u00a0 Rodriguez,\u00a0 until she was called in by Pepsico,\u00a0 was not expecting to work that day.<\/p>\n Jiryiah Johnson.<\/strong><\/em> As ANIMALS 24-7<\/strong> pointed out at the time,\u00a0 the scenario might not have unfolded as it did if the Texas minimum wage was not $7.25 an hour,\u00a0 less for workers who receive tips,\u00a0 and if adequate child care options were available to low-wage working mothers.<\/p>\n But as ANIMALS 24-7<\/strong> also pointed out at the time,\u00a0 people in minimum wage jobs,\u00a0 especially those with minor children at home,\u00a0 cannot afford to keep pit bulls,\u00a0 let alone keep three of them in a high-liability situation.<\/p>\n Thirteen-year-old emergency babysitter Hailee Wylie \u201cmade every effort possible\u201d on behalf of Jiryiah Johnson,\u00a0 Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar told Katrina Webber of KSAT television news in San Antonio, \u00a0\u201ceven lifting that baby over her head,\u201d\u00a0 after the three pit bulls crashed through the already damaged bedroom door, \u00a0\u201cthat they had already damaged,\u00a0 to get to the baby.<\/p>\n Hailee Wylie tried to save Jiryiah Johnson from fatal pit bull attack.<\/strong><\/em> \u201cOne dog pulled the baby from the bed,\u201d\u00a0 recounted Beltran, \u00a0\u201cand another dog joined in the attack. \u00a0There was a \u2018tug-of-war\u2019 between the girl and one of the dogs for the baby, \u00a0Salazar said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe girl spent about two minutes trying to fight the dogs off. She was able to escape with the baby into a bathroom, \u00a0but the dogs forced their way into the bathroom as well, continuing to attack them.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s when one of the dogs bit the girl.\u201d<\/p>\n Continued Salazar,\u00a0 \u201cAt a certain point, \u00a0she had to break away, \u00a0and physically left the baby behind in the bathroom,\u00a0 and went to get her cell phone to call for help.\u201d<\/p>\n Picked up San \u00a0Antonio Express-News<\/em> staff writer Jacob Beltran,\u00a0 \u201cThe girl grabbed her cell phone,\u00a0 returned to the bathroom, \u00a0and resumed fighting with the dogs.\u00a0 She then escaped with the baby into another bedroom, \u00a0barricading the door until deputies arrived.\u201d<\/p>\n Pit bull owner Heather Rodriguez.<\/strong><\/em> Rodriguez was charged with causing injury to a child resulting in serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony,\u00a0 which in Texas carries the same potential penalties as murder.<\/p>\n While the Castro\/Johnson lawsuit names Rodriguez as well as Blackstone as defendants,\u00a0 the landlord firm Blackstone has the \u201cdeep pockets\u201d from whom a payout or settlement might be won.<\/p>\n But the legal history of lawsuits seeking to hold landlords financially responsible for the consequences of dog attacks is inconsistent and mostly negative.<\/p>\nNo charges so far in May 27, 2025\u00a0 New York City fatality.\u00a0 San Antonio case brings both criminal & civil filings<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nPit bulls banned in NYC public housing<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0\u201cShe said\u200b, \u2018No\u200b, \u00a0this dog don\u2019t bite\u200b.\u2019\u201d<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cIt would be better if she gave me the baby\u201d<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cTwo dogs in small apartment\u201d<\/h2>\n
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(Facebook photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nJiryiah Johnson parents sue Blackstone<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cNew information\u201d<\/h2>\n
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(Facebook photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n$7.25 Texas minimum wage was a factor<\/h2>\n
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(Facebook photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nThree pit bulls against 13-year-old<\/h2>\n
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(Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nRodriguez charged but Blackstone is the \u201cdeep pockets\u201d<\/h2>\n