Murrieta Dog Owner Arrested After Lowe's Store Attack
MURRIETA (CBSLA.com) — A Riverside County dog owner has been arrested after his 3-year-old Akita attacked a toddler at a home improvement store in Murrieta, authorities said Friday.
Robert Kahn, 62, was booked Thursday on suspicion of willful cause of bodily injury by an animal following the attack on Saturday, in which a 3-year-old boy was treated with about 50 stitches after he was bitten on the face and neck by the leashed dog, according to police.
Authorities say Kahn initially left the scene shortly after attack, which reportedly happened around 11:45 a.m. Saturday at the Lowe's Garden Center at 24701 Madison Ave. Police ultimately found him and interviewed him Sunday.
Kahn was reportedly walking the Akita on a leash when the attack occurred, police said.
The child was released from Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego on Dec. 29, according to police. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Investigators said they found at least two other incidents between October and November 2013 where the dog showed aggression toward 3- and 5-year-old children.
Animal Friends of the Valley (The County Authority for Animal Control) took custody of the animal following the incident. The dog remains quarantined, officials said.
In a statement, Lowe's said that only service dogs, such as seeing-eye dogs, are allowed in its stores. The Akita involved in the incident does not appear to be a service dog.
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