A criminal complaint filed in Dayton Municipal Court lists Austin, the Middle Street address, the April 25, 2017, date and that the defendant “did unlawfully, or having the care, custody, or control of a dog, suffer or permit the dog to bite or otherwise cause physical harm to another person or domestic animal.” Austin is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 10.
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Maurice Brown, 60, died of blood loss on April 25, 2017, after being attacked by a pit bull that broke free of its restraint while in the backyard of the home at 345 Middle St.
David Brown, Maurice Brown’s brother, said he’s glad that someone has been charged in the violent death of his sibling, but it “kind of feels like a slap in the face” that it is only a misdemeanor count.
“A misdemeanor for a death – that’s disturbing,” he said.
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Police shot and killed the dog, and three others were removed from the yard, which were never claimed. Two dogs were euthanized this year, and one was adopted.
After the attack, authorities said they were working to determine who owned the dogs and what type of criminal charges were warranted.
Dayton city prosecutor Stephanie Cook has previously told the Dayton Daily News that Austin was being considered for charges after law enforcement determined no felony could be charged.
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Dayton police Lt. Kimberly Hill, who used to oversee the department’s Professional Standards Bureau, was disciplined for not submitting internal investigations in time for consideration of discipline for the responding police officers.
A commander’s review of a related investigation of the dog-mauling case said officers Daniel Hartings and Scott Pendley “failed to render immediate assistance and/or first aid.” Hartings retired in 2017.
The city of Dayton has refused to provide requested police dash-cam footage, citing an open criminal investigation.
David Brown said his family is reaching out to an attorney in the hopes of filing a civil lawsuit against the owner of the dog.
He said his family hopes to obtain a significant judgment to send the message that people need to be responsible for their dogs, especially when they are large and “dangerous.”
“People want these dogs and they should deal with the consequences of owning them should this happen,” he said.
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Local state legislators tried but failed to pass the “Klonda Richey Act” named for the Dayton woman who died in 2014 after being mauled by two dogs.
The owners of the dogs that killed Richey — Andrew Nason and Julie Custer — pleaded no contest to misdemeanor failure to control dogs and both served jail time.
According to Montgomery County real estate records, the 345 Middle St. property belongs to Callie Walker, who died at the age of 92 in July. This newspaper could not immediately determine her relationship to Austin.
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Anthony Austin has a criminal record that includes convictions for theft, aggravated menacing and a felony charge of illegal conveyance of drugs on the grounds of a detention facility.
In November, Anthony Austin was indicted on felony charges of aggravated burglary, felonious assault and attempted burglary.
Messages seeking comment have been left with Cook and the criminal defense attorney representing Austin in the burglary case.
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Some neighbors previously told this newspaper that the dog that killed Brown was kept chained up outside around the clock.
Joe Ross, the co-president of the Jane Reece Neighborhood Association who lives nearby, said the dog seemed poorly socialized and he just as easily could have been the mauling victim because he cleans trash out of the alley by the site of the attack.
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