Cal City man pleads not guilty to murder in boy’s drowning death after dog attack

A California City man accused in connection with the drowning death of a 12-year-old boy after prosecutors say his dogs attacked the child and his sister has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges. Kenneth Dobbins refused to appear in court but was ultimately arraigned today. Prosecutors allege Dobbins’ three dogs attacked two children on June 18, prompting the 12-year-old boy to run into a pond to avoid them, where he drowned.

Eyewitness News previously reported the dogs were unleashed and attacked the boy and his younger sister, who sustained a dog bite. Dogs are not allowed at Central Park, where the attack took place. “And for something that’s a city ordinance. I think it’s a $200 fine for having your dog without a leash. To go from there through the city liability, through the general criminal liability, to manslaughter, all the way up to murder, is a very long journey,” Raimondo said.

Raimondo also pointed to the emotional nature of the case. Obviously, we can all feel what it would be like to be that little 12-year-old boy. And so there are a lot of emotions and a lot of sympathy,” he said. He added, Dobbins will most likely say he did not intend to hurt the boy. “As the dust settles from this tragedy, he’s entitled to a fair trial by impartial jurors who aren’t going to be swayed by sympathy or passion. They’re going to be swayed only by the evidence and the law,” Raimondo said.

Dobbins was arrested Friday after being spotted in Lancaster following a days-long manhunt. One of the three dogs was also caught and taken to Los Angeles County Animal Control. A request for the dog’s status was not returned. California City police are searching for the other two dogs involved in the fatal attack. One of the dogs goes by the name Oso.

This excerpt was recovered from Raimondo Law’s prior WordPress news archive. Editorial ownership remains with the named news organization.