Michigan Couple Faces Murder Charges in Fatal Cane Corso Mauling

Two dog owners facing possible illegal immigration consequences were charged with second-degree murder following the fatal mauling of a 46-year-old jogger in Michigan. Valbona Lucaj, 44, and Sebastiano Quagliata, 45, appeared in Lapeer District Court on Aug. 1, 2014, the Washington Post reported. Lapeer County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Turkelson announced that the couple also faced one count of possession of a dangerous animal causing death, a charge that carries a maximum 15-year prison term.

Craig Sytsma, of Livonia, was out for a jog after work on July 23, 2014, when he was attacked by two Cane Corso dogs in Metamora Township, approximately 45 miles northwest of Detroit. He later died from his wounds. Investigators found 11 Cane Corsos at the couple's home, including 7 puppies. Bond was set at $500,000 each.

Authorities stated the attack on Sytsma was the third by Quagliata and Lucaj's dogs in the past two years. Two neighbors had been bitten by the dogs within months of Sytsma's death, and some had begun arming themselves against potential attack. Although the dogs were kept in a chain-link enclosure, they had repeatedly tunneled underneath it. One prior victim, April Smith, sued the owners and reached a $20,000 settlement that had yet to be paid at the time of Sytsma's death. Police investigated both prior incidents and referred them to animal control, but the owners were only ticketed and the dogs were never removed.

Federal authorities said Quagliata and Lucaj were living in the United States illegally and faced imminent deportation at the time of the attack, according to a report in the Detroit Free Press. Lucaj is a native of Albania and Quagliata is from Italy. Both had been in the United States since the late 1990s. Murder charges in fatal dog attack cases are exceptionally rare.

The case ultimately resolved without trial. Both defendants accepted a plea agreement in April 2015, with Quagliata and Lucaj each pleading no contest to harboring a dangerous animal causing death, a charge carrying up to 15 years in prison. Sebastiano Quagliata and Valbona Lucaj were sentenced to 57 months to 15 years in prison. Both may face deportation upon release.

References

[1] The Washington Post. (2014, August 01). Owners of dogs that were 'looking to kill' charged in fatal mauling of jogger. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/08/01/owners-of-dogs-that-were-looking-to-kill-charged-in-fatal-mauling-of-jogger/

[2] CBS Detroit / WWJ. (2014, August 01). Couple Whose Dogs Fatally Mauled Jogger Charged With Murder. https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/murder-hearing-for-albanian-couple-whose-cane-corso-dogs-killed-jogger/

[3] ABA Journal. (2014, August 01). Owners of 100-pound dogs charged with 2nd-degree murder in fatal attack on jogger. https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/owners_of_100-pound_dogs_charged_with_2nd-degree_murder_in_fatal_attack_on_

[4] DogsBite.org Blog. (2022, May 03). Criminal Trial: Michigan Couple Pleads to Felony Manslaughter Charge After Cane Corsos Brutally Kill Jogger. https://blog.dogsbite.org/2014/09/couple-charged-second-degree-murder-cane-corsos-kill-jogger.html