Judge denies request to release man charged in machete attack

A Merced man charged with hacking a dog with a machete asked a judge to release him from custody Tuesday.

The request from Myron L. Pattillo was denied by Judge David W. Moranda. The judge also refused to lower Pattillo’s $170,000 bail, defense attorney Tom Pfeiff confirmed.

Pattillo, 46, has pleaded not guilty to animal cruelty and robbery in connection with the May 1 death of a Siberian husky named Lucious. The 1-year-old dog was tied to a fire hydrant at the corner of Conestoga Drive and Austin Avenue and slashed with machetes, allegedly by Pattillo and co-defendant Aaron W. Carney, 29.

Pfeiff said the judge denied the requests, citing the nature of the charges and Merced County’s bail schedule.

Pattillo’s attorney also confirmed his client underwent eye surgery Monday while under the supervision of jail staff. Pfeiff said he believed the surgery went well. The attorney declined to comment on details of the case Tuesday.

Merced County sheriff’s Lt. Jason Goins confirmed the county did not pay for the surgery. “It was a pre-existing condition, so he paid for it on his own,” Goins said.

The judge also denied a request by Carney’s attorney to lower his client’s bail Monday .

A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for May 18.

Pattillo’s wife, Shon Oliver, told the Sun-Star her husband regrets his actions but said the incident could have been avoided had the dog’s owners taken previous complaints seriously.

The case has drawn attention from animal rights groups. Nearly a dozen such advocates attended Monday’s arraignment, voicing support for harsher sentences for animal abusers.

Both men remain in custody at the John Latorraca Correctional Facility.

This story was originally published May 12, 2015 at 10:41 AM with the headline "Judge denies request to release man charged in machete attack."