‘Dangerous’ Pit Bull Bit 5-Year-Old Girl, To Be Euthanized, Owner Charged

An Ohio man is facing charges after his pit bull attacked a child in Hamilton, hospitalizing her, Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones said Tuesday.

Justin Iceman, 37, was charged with failure to confine a dangerous dog and to notify the dog warden of the attack. Five-year-old Lilly-Mae Payne was outside her home, preparing to greet a relative Saturday morning when the alleged attack took place, Fox19 reported.

Iceman, who was the girl’s neighbor, had his dog on a leash nearby. However, the canine managed to break free of the leash and ended up chasing Payne into her yard before it began biting her.

“This little girl was minding her own business when this dog broke the leash and attacked her. I am glad that she is expected to be fine but fear this will have a lasting impression on her. We don’t know what prompted the attack, but this dog obviously should not be around people,” Jones said.

Wendi Brown, the victim’s grandmother, said the child suffered severe injuries during the attack and was recovering at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. “Lacerations bad on her face, right by her temple," Brown said. "It broke her jaw in two places. They had to put a metal plate in. She has two bite marks on her rib cage on the right, and just several little ones.”

She added that her granddaughter will make a full recovery but will need constant medical care until then. Online auctions and raffles were being held to raise money for the victim’s expenses. One could join Facebook groups like Tuesday Handmade Market, the Wacky Wednesday, the Let’s Taco 'Bout it Thursday to help out Payne.

“Everybody has been just wonderful," Brown said. "I can’t express that enough.”

According to officials, it was not the first time the pit bull had attacked people. The dog was branded “dangerous” by the Butler County Dog Wardens following another attack on a child in September 2018. After the recent incident, the label was upgraded to a “vicious” dog and the pit bull was scheduled to be euthanized. The date when the dog was expected to be put down was not mentioned.

Before the decision to euthanize the dog was made, Iceman had already begun preparations to get the canine quarantined. Payne’s grandmother said he had already apologized to her family and regretted the fact that his dog had injured her granddaughter.

Brown hoped the incident would act as a lesson for pet owners and parents alike to take precautionary measures to ensure that no child has to go through such an ordeal in the future. “If you have already had a dog that has already bitten one person, child, adult, it doesn’t matter, if you have them in your yard, please put a muzzle on them," she said "I want the children to understand, do not just walk up to any dog because even the nicest dog can snap at you.”