Sunday, March 31, 2013

3/19/13: Mother of little boy killed by pit bull hopes for criminal charges in the case

ILLINOIS -- The mother the 7-year old boy killed by a pit bull in Galesburg says she is hoping some kind of criminal charges are filed in the attack.

Ryan Maxwell died March 2nd after the pit bull lunged for his throat and face.


“I’m angry at myself. I’m angry at the dog. I’m angry at the dog’s owner. Sometimes I’m angry with God, because it’s not fair, it’s not fair, said Sarah Mead, the boy’s mother in an interview Monday with News 8.

She says Ryan had gone rollerskating at a local rink for the first time. He was sleeping over at the home, owned by Sarah’s fiancee’s family.

“I called him the next morning and he said ‘I want to stay and play longer, Mom’.. I said alright, I love you. He told me he loved me too and those were the last words I said to him”, Mead said.


“I thought the dogs were in the garage or in the backyard chained up”, she said, adding there were three other children who lived in the house.

Police are still investigating the circumstances that lead to the attack. Ryan’s grandfather Tom Mead says he plans to meet with Galesburg’s mayor about steps that can be taken to strengthen the city’s ordinances.

He said he wishes pit bulls could be banned from the city, but outlawing specific breeds is not allowed in Illinois.

“Something’s got to be done to stop this from happening to another kid”, Mead said. “My wife and I wake up crying and go to bed crying. There’s just constant sorrow around here. He was the center of everything here”, Mead said.
 

The pit bull was shot by police after he refused to let go of the little boy, and then turned on the officers.

“I’ll never know what happened out there that day. What made that dog do that? I feel there needs to be justice for Ryan. Something needs to be done for Ryan”, Mead said.

(WQAD - Mar 19, 2013)

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