The incident occurred on Saturday, August 17, at a residence in Northeast Ohio. Deputies responded to a call about the boy after he was bitten by the dog.
In court, Angelina Williams, the boy’s mother, claimed she was unaware it was illegal to handcuff a child. She and the others allegedly used the handcuffs as a form of punishment after the boy failed to clean up after the dog.
The boy suffered bites to his neck and ear and was transported to a hospital. According to his grandmother, he is expected to recover.
Robert Michalski Jr., the boy’s uncle and owner of the pit bull, was identified as the homeowner where the attack took place. Williams’s boyfriend, Taylor Desiree Marvin Brown, was also present during the incident.
Williams argued in court that she did not know it was wrong to use the handcuffs. “I didn’t even know the cuffs were illegal or that anything was wrong with it. My uncle told me it was OK,” she said.
Ashland County Prosecutor Chris Tunnell described how the child was handcuffed at both hands and feet, and that a rope was being used to try to tie him to a chair when he fell to the ground and was attacked by the pit bull.
Williams maintained her actions were not intended to cause harm. “I never meant any harm,” she stated.
The boy’s grandmother, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed her shock and concern over the situation, recalling her immediate reaction to the boy’s condition and her own attempts to help him. She indicated that despite her own injuries, she was fortunate compared to her grandson.
The pit bull has been taken into custody and classified as a vicious dog. The boy’s mother, her boyfriend, and the dog’s owner were arrested, though Michalski and the dog had left before police arrived.
