Yermo woman mauled to death by dogs on Christmas night

Editor's note: This is an updated version of a story posted Wednesday morning.

YERMO — Authorities at the Barstow sheriff’s station believe dogs mauled a woman to death on Christmas evening.

Kelly Caldwell, 45, of Yermo, died at Barstow Community Hospital on Tuesday night from what appears to be an attack by several Pit Bull-like dogs, Sgt. Steve Harbottle of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said.

“When the deputies got there, they could tell pretty quickly that the woman was the victim of a dog attack,” Harbottle said.

At about 9:30 p.m., the station received a call of person down near the intersection of Yermo Road and Second Street. Deputies responded to find the Yermo Fire Department already on scene working on Caldwell. Caldwell was transported to BCH where she later died. Harbottle said a witness at the scene saw a number of dogs circling Caldwell and called the sheriff’s department.

Harbottle expects an autopsy by the coroner’s office and DNA samples taken from two dogs that deputies shot to confirm that the dogs were the cause of death. Deputies had to shoot the dogs when they became aggressive toward detectives and an animal control worker during the investigation. Two other dogs were taken by animal control, one remains at large.

The two dogs taken by animal control are being held as evidence for the sheriff’s department, said John Papp, a supervisor of field services for the San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control Program. If further investigation clears the two dogs of any involvement in the attack, they will likely be released to their owner.

Dog attacks that result in someone’s death are a rare occurrence in the Barstow area, Papp said. He said attacks by German Shepherds and other German mixes are most common but attacks by Pit Bulls are some of the most severe.

“They have a strong bite,” Papp said. “When they do bite, they cause more damage than other dogs.”

In 2000, the strong bites of two Pit Bull mixes killed a 10-year-old Newberry Springs boy. Cash Carson was playing with a friend when the two attacked. Animal control officers picked up three dogs in the Newberry Springs area after the attack, and the District Attorney’s office filed murder and manslaughter charges against James Chiavetta. A jury convicted Chiavetta of manslaughter in 2001. He was sentenced to four years in state prison but died before he started serving his time.

In the case of Tuesday’s attack, Supervising District Attorney Jim Hill said he would have to wait for the entire investigation to wrap up to decide whether to press charges. Harbottle, who worked the Newberry Springs case in 2001 and two other fatal dog attack cases in the county, said the investigation could take weeks as detectives wait for pathology reports and try to determined which, if any of the dogs, attacked Caldwell.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information can call the sheriff’s department at 256-4838. To remain anonymous, contact WeTip at 1-800-78-CRIME.

Contact the writer:

(760) 256-4121 or aaron_aupperlee@link.freedom.com

If you see a loose, aggressive dog:

• Face the animal and back away slowly

• Do not run or make any sudden movements; the dog will most likely chase you

• Retreat to a safe location, neighboring yard, vehicle

• Call San Bernardino County Animal Control (county), 1-800-472-5609, or the Barstow Humane Society (city), 252-4800

“Generally, the worst thing you can do is run.” — John Papp, San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control