SAN ANTONIO – A woman believed to be the co-owner of the dogs involved in a brutal attack on the West Side last week has been arrested, according to San Antonio police.
Abilene Schnieder, 31, was arrested Wednesday afternoon and is charged with attack by dangerous dog resulting in death and injury to an elderly person.
Officials said her arrest is based on new evidence that shows she and her husband, Christian Alexander Moreno, 31, shared custody of the three dogs.
To date, Moreno is still being held in the Bexar County Jail and is facing the same charges as Schnieder.
Police said Schnieder posted on social media before the attack when one of the dogs had puppies. She referred to herself as “a grandma” in the post, because the puppies were born.
She also recorded conversations she had with her husband, talking about how dangerous the dogs had become after having been sterilized, an affidavit states.
SAPD said they received several tips that claimed Schnieder and Moreno were training the dogs to be “aggressive with meat.”
Schnieder is also accused of “failing to take the measures necessary to properly secure her dogs and was equally responsible for doing so,” an affidavit states.
The attack happened last Friday in the 2800 block of Depla Street, off Highway 90 and Cupples Road.
Police said the dogs escaped their yard and were roaming free when they attacked Ramon Najera, 81. He and his wife, Janie, were visiting someone in the neighborhood when the incident happened.
Najera died from his injuries, and Janie and two others were taken to an area hospital for treatment. All three were released as of Saturday.
The three dogs, described as American Staffordshire Terriers, had a history with San Antonio Animal Care Services over the last two years due to complaints from neighbors. They claimed the dogs were “estray and neglected,” according to officials.
All of the dogs were euthanized Friday night and Saturday.
We’ll bring more updates as they become available.