Murder Charge Filed in Fatal Dog Mauling of Boy, 4

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DETROIT, MI - The owner of four dogs that killed 4-year-old Xavier Strickland on Dec. 2 has been charged with murder, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Monday.

Geneke Antonio Lyons, 41, of Detroit, will be arraigned in 36th District Court Monday afternoon on charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and possessing dangerous animals causing death, according to media reports.

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The dogs, which the prosecutor’s office said were pit bulls or pit bull mixes, ripped the boy from his mother’s grasp as they walked down Baylis Street near the John C. Lodge Freeway, then pulled him under a fence.

“The evidence in this case will show that these dogs saw this child as meal, and we believe that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the alleged actions of the defendant in this case rise to the level of murder in the second degree,” Worthy said in a statement. “It is a gross understatement to say that this case is harrowing example of irresponsible pet ownership.”

Three of the four dogs were shot by police trying to save the boy, and the other was captured and euthanized.

Lucille Strickland, the boy’s mother, was also injured in the attack, WDIV-TV reports. Xavier’s parents have filed two civil lawsuits against the dog owner and property owner. Attorneys at the Sam Bernstein Law Firm say she was “permanently injured trying to save her son’s life.”

In a statement, the law firm said:

“This case should be a wake up call for our community. We get calls every day at our office about injuries caused by dogs with dangerous owners. But this affects our region more profoundly — it’s the death of a child. It’s time to address this problem in a very serious way.”