SAN ANTONIO — The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Paul Striegl Jr., 47, died at a local hospital Sunday. It comes nearly a month after a neighbor's dog allegedly attacked him.
"I'm very angry," said Charles 'Chuck' Sutton. "My son-in-law has been killed, taken away from me by the man's dogs."
San Antonio police responded to a dog bite call in the 9500 block of Heidelberg Street on Sept. 5. Police say a guest at the next-door neighbor's house let two Staffordshire Terriers outside. That's when the dogs allegedly crawled under the fence and mauled Striegl, who was smoking a cigarette in his yard.
Striegl received extensive injuries to his upper body, arms and torso, and was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center. Sutton says Striegl's left arm had to be amputated.
"To be taken out in such a way … it's heart-wrenching, it's gut-wrenching," Sutton teared up.
Sutton believes the dogs' owner Gregory Palmer, 56, should be charged.
That's not likely to happen, according to the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD).
“Our deepest condolences are with the Striegl family, and anyone affected by this tragedy," said an SAPD spokesperson in a statement. "The dog that attacked Mr. Striegl was euthanized following an investigation by Animal Care Services. Three criminal citations against the owner remain to be prosecuted in municipal court. SAPD’s Homicide Unit also conducted a thorough investigation and no further criminal charges are expected. This tragic case highlights the importance of daily responsible pet ownership. We are asking local pet owners to do their part by checking fences and gates regularly and keeping them in good repair.”
That means Palmer likely won't spend any time behind bars, and that's not sitting well with Texas Rep. Liz Campos (D-San Antonio).
"It's disappointing to know that this man passed away and there's only citations, so I am going to make an inquiry about it," said Campos. "I have been in conversations with the City of San Antonio, and that's just not acceptable. We've lost another life."
There have been two deadly dog attacks in San Antonio so far this year.
In February, 81-year-old Ramon Najera was mauled to death in the 2800 block of Depla Street. The victim's wife was critically injured.
Police say in that attack, Staffordshire Terriers had also escaped through a fence. However, the dogs’ owners, Christian Moreno and Abilene Schnieder, were charged with felonies. They could each spend up to 22 years behind bars if convicted.
Campos wants to know why the outcomes of the investigations are different.
"That's where my bill comes in and why it's so needed," Campos said.
Campos was able to get a Dangerous Dog Bill passed in the state legislature this year, but it was later vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott. She says she’s been in contact with the Governor's Office and plans to re-file the bill on Oct. 9. The bill would make it easier to report aggressive and dangerous dogs and make deadly dog attacks an automatic felony.