By DJ Becker/The Madera News December 30th, 2024
December 25th took a tragic turn for a 74-year-old man reportedly walking near a homeless encampment in the creek bed slough near State Route 99 in Chowchilla. The victim, who may have been homeless, was reportedly pulled to the ground by 4 large loose, pit bull mix dogs and repeatedly bitten and mauled before police arrived and shot the dogs to stop the vicious attack. One remaining dog was taken to the Madera County Animal Shelter, along with a mix of 10 to 12 different puppies.
Chowchilla Police arrested ‘Jhonphan’ Little of Chowchilla, on December 30th, on felony charges of owning animals at large and causing serious bodily injury, according to Lt. Burns of the Chowchilla Police Department.
Burns said the investigation is ongoing with limited information being released, but the victim was in stable condition at a local medical center.
Witnesses who reportedly saw the incident and knew the victim identified him as Larry Ledbetter, of Chowchilla. They said the four dogs were well known to be vicious and the owner of the dogs, Little, who is also reportedly homeless, appeared to stand by and watch his dogs continue to bite, tear and yank on the 74-year-old man for an extended period of time, and further noted that Little did not try and stop his dogs as they continued to maul the elderly man.
One witness said this was not the first time the dogs owned by Little had attacked someone, and he did not understand why something was not done sooner, to protect residents from all the large stray and potentially dangerous dogs roaming in the area. “He’s lucky to be alive,” said another man.
