Investigator: Boy Shouldn't Have Been Left Alone With Pit Bulls Before Mauling
LINDA (CBS13) — The lead investigator in a deadly dog mauling case is speaking out after felony charges were recommended against a Linda woman.
Yuba County Sheriff's Det. Jason Nakamura calls it the toughest case of his 15-year career. He says it's his duty to protect the victim.
"There really wasn't a spot on him that wasn't bit," he said.
Inside the Linda trailer, he says there were clear signs of 9-year-old Tyler Trammel-Huston's struggle to escape as he was mauled to death by his sister's pit bulls while she was at work.
"There was definitely two separate locations in the trailer where attacks had happened, one near his bed, his bed was located in the trailer, and another near the front door where Tyler was ultimately located," he said, adding it appeared the boy was trying to escape.
The boy's body was was found by his 24-year-old half-sister Alexandria Griffin-Heady. Nakamura says she should have known not to leave him alone with her pit bulls. His investigation found one had recently shown aggression toward her brother.
"Through the Christmas break, the boy would wrestle or be rough with the dog and the dog would growl and pull away from him," he said.
The boy's death came as she was trying to gain custody of her brother. The foster child was granted permission by Sacramento County Child Protective Services to visit his sister at the house next to the trailer where her adoptive parents also live.
"I know that Sacramento CPS did do a few different home inspections there? But I believe that they were under the impression that he was living in the house," he said.
But on the night he died, he was sleeping alone in the trailer after she had gone to work.
Despite a loving bond between brother and sister, Nakamura calls it a clear case of felony negligence.
"You gotta do the right thing for the victim," he said, "and you gotta try to piece together what happened."
The decision on charges now rests with the Yuba County District Attorney's Office.
