Man mauled by mastiffs at actor Ving Rhames' home
New. 12:30 p.m.: Caretaker found dead at Brentwood residence appeared to have "injuries as a result of the mauling," police said. Two of four dogs taken into custody weigh about 200 pounds.
From wire service reports:
A man working as a caretaker at a Brentwood residence owned by actor Ving Rhames was found dead on the property today after being mauled by two dogs, authorities said.
The man died at the scene of the attack, which was reported about 7:15 a.m. in the 12900 block of San Vicente Boulevard, said Los Angeles police Officer Sandra Gonzalez. His name was withheld pending notification of relatives.
Los Angeles police Lt. Ray Lombardo told ABC7 that the man, in his 40s, had been a caretaker at the residence about two years.
He “appears to have suffered a number of injuries as a result of the dog mauling,” Lombardo said.
“There were dogs loose on the property. Those dogs have been captured by animal regulation (officers),” he said. “We have four dogs that have been taken into custody for quarantine pending further investigation ...” Police believe two of the four dogs -- both weighing about 200 pounds -- were involved in the attack.
“Both those dogs are mastiffs; they’re rather large,” Lombardo said. “Normally we understand they are pretty friendly dogs. But, you know, there are occasions where dogs will turn on their owners or their caretakers, and this looks like a tragic accident.”
The man had numerous dog bites all over his body, but the exact cause of death was pending a coroner’s ruling.
Authorities said they could not be sure whether it was the dog mauling that proved fatal, or if the man suffered some other type of health problem, such as a heart attack, brought on by the dog attack.
Rhames, who appeared in the “Mission Impossible” films, was not at home when the attack occurred, police said.
I'm thinking there is more, much more to this story. Though I'm sure it's possible for these dogs to attack and kill someone, as a breed, they are the most passive animals I've ever seen. Though, provoked, anything can turn aggressive. Hard to say at this point.
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Ron
Land of the Free because of the Brave. Most gave some, some gave all. Some ran the other way.
[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 08-03-2007).]
