Volusia County, FL – The owners of the dogs that mauled an 8-year-old boy to death earlier this year in Volusia County are now facing additional charges of tampering with evidence, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office.
Details of the Charges
On Thursday, Brandy Hodil was arrested and later posted a $7,500 bond. On Friday, Amanda Franco, who is facing a second-degree misdemeanor charge, turned herself in. The new charges are related to the owners’ social media activity during the investigation.
Authorities discovered that Franco deleted her Facebook account, which contained messages with a neighbor discussing her dogs’ violent tendencies. Franco later created a new Facebook account in April, while still under investigation.
Meanwhile, Hodil, who owned the second dog involved in the mauling, deleted messages about the dogs being loose the night of the incident. A search warrant revealed that Hodil also searched for how to deactivate her social media accounts and messenger as reported.
The Mauling Incident
The tragic incident occurred in January when Michael Millett, 8, was mauled to death by two dogs while riding his bike in a DeLand-area neighborhood. The dogs had gotten loose from a nearby property and were later euthanized.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said that the two women had deleted their social media accounts the day after Millett’s death. A neighbor later provided detectives with screenshots showing a history of the dogs getting loose and causing problems in the neighborhood.
Community Awareness and Missed Reporting
Chitwood noted that while many people in the neighborhood were aware of the dogs’ violent history, social ties prevented them from reporting the incidents to law enforcement.
“There’s a lot of people in the neighborhood that knew what was going on but didn’t want to be labeled as a snitch, so they didn’t report it,” Chitwood said.
Dangerous Dog Charges
In addition to the evidence tampering charges, Franco is being charged under the Dangerous Dogs Act for the attack, as the dogs had not been previously declared dangerous.
Florida law stipulates that when an unclassified dog attacks and causes severe injury or death, the owner is guilty of a second-degree misdemeanor, which carries up to 60 days in jail or a $500 fine.
The Impact on the Community
This case underscores the importance of holding dog owners accountable for the actions of their pets, particularly when they pose a risk to public safety. The tragic death of Michael Millett has sparked an outcry for stronger enforcement of laws surrounding dangerous animals.
What do you think should be done to prevent such incidents in the future? Share your thoughts below.
