DA reviewing case against men arrested in machete attack on dog

A makeshift memorial continued to grow Monday for a pet dog slashed with machetes last week and left for dead.

Suspects Myron L. Pattillo, 45, and Aaron W. Carney, 29, remained in custody Monday at the John Latorraca Correctional Facility, three days after the attack on the animal.

Police said they tied the 1-year-old Siberian Husky to a fire hydrant at the corner of Austin Avenue and Conestoga Drive and hacked him with machetes, forcing authorities to euthanize the animal. The dog’s name was Lucious.

Pattillo and Carney were arrested several hours after the incident for investigation of animal cruelty and robbery, the Merced Police Department said.

Merced police sent the case file on Monday to the Merced County District Attorney’s Office for review, Capt. Bimley West said. “The case was also sent to our investigators and to our Animal Control Division in case further investigation is needed,” he said.

Steve Slocum, supervising deputy district attorney, said prosecutors will examine the case file and make a decision on charges before the deadline for arraignment expires Wednesday.

“We’ll review the case and determine whether there’s sufficient evidence to file it,” Slocum told the Sun-Star.

A pile of flowers, cards, balloons and handwritten notes continued to grow Monday at the fire hydrant where the incident happened.

More than 50 people gathered Saturday at the intersection of G Street and Olive Avenue to speak out against animal cruelty in general and the brutality of the attack on the dog owned by 22-year-old Ralph Guerrero, who also attended the rally.

Guerrero described the gathering as comforting and said it was a relief compared to the violence that ended his dog’s life.

Pattillo’s criminal history in Merced County dates to 1996 and includes convictions for misdemeanor assault and providing false information to peace officers, according to Merced Superior Court records.

At least half a dozen other cases against Pattillo were filed by the District Attorney’s Office since the late 1990s, including charges of domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest and battery, but all were dismissed by the court, court records show.

Carney has no criminal history in Merced County, according to court records.

Booking records showed Pattillo remained in custody Monday evening on more than $100,000 bail. Carney was in custody on $55,000 bail.

This story was originally published May 4, 2015 at 5:11 PM with the headline "DA reviewing case against men arrested in machete attack on dog."