Dog Attacks Essex County Cop, ‘Mauls’ K9 During Raid: Sheriff

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Police carried out a drug raid at a Newark apartment on Tuesday that ended with the arrest of an alleged gang member and two other suspects. During the raid, police shot and killed a pitbull on the premises after it allegedly attacked and injured an Essex County sheriff’s officer and a New Jersey State Police K9 dog.

The pre-dawn raid took place at a first-floor apartment on the 300-block of North 7th Street, and involved detectives from the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Police troopers and federal agents from the United States Marshals Service.

While carrying out a search warrant for Icxandro ‘King Dro’ Santiago, 38, an alleged member of the Almighty Latin Kings street gang, police surrounded the home and announced their presence, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office stated.

At that time, an unleashed pitbull in Santiago’s apartment “attacked and seriously mauled” a state police K9. During the struggle, the dog also bit a detective from the sheriff’s office “multiple times,” authorities said.

“As a result of the attacks, a member of the task force was forced to fire one fatal shot at the animal,” the Essex County Sheriff’s Office stated.

The sheriff’s detective and K9 have received medical attention for their wounds. No further information about their condition was immediately available.

Santiago, who was in violation of his federal parole status and in contempt of a recent Superior Court order, was detained along with two other residents of the building, police said.

During a search of the home, police found 182 grams of heroin, 50 grams of cocaine, 16 grams of marijuana and a “wide assortment of drug packaging and processing materials,” authorities said.

The estimated street value of the narcotics came to $40,000, police stated.

Authorities charged Santiago with three counts each of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of CDS with intent to distribute and possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of Dr. E. Alma Flagg School. He was also charged with possession of narcotics paraphernalia, and was lodged at the Essex County Correctional Facility.

Authorities charged the two other suspects with CDS possession.

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