SAN ANTONIO – The woman whose dogs attacked and killed an elderly veteran will remain behind bars.
The appeals court changed the offense Abilene Schnieder was indicted on, but her punishment will stay the same.
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Schnieder and her husband, Christian Moreno, were sentenced to 15 and 18 years in prison, respectively, after pleading guilty to their role in 81-year-old Ramon Najera’s death.
They were arrested in February 2023 after their pit bulls mauled and killed Najera, and seriously injured his wife. Firefighters had to use pick axes to try and get the dogs away from the victims.
Investigators say that the pit bulls easily got out of their yard from a hole in the fence. According to the arrest report, a witness video showed that the dogs were not wearing collars or harnesses, which were a requirement of Animal Control Services (ACS) when they recently released the dogs back to the couple. Moreno had told investigators that he had complied with the guidelines.
A judge described the case as one of negligence and irresponsible pet ownership.
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In her appeal, Schnieder blamed Animal Care Services, arguing that if the agency had euthanized the dogs, the death would not have occurred.
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The appeals court agreed with the judge’s ruling, except for the statute number. This marks the end of Schnieder’s appeal process, while her husband’s appeal, which makes the same arguments, has yet to be heard.
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