The sister of a “neighbor from hell” whose dogs mauled an 81-year-old man to death has been arrested for threatening neighbors who witnessed the horror attack.
Local residents who live near Abilene Schnieder, 31, and husband Christian Alexander Moreno, also 31, in San Antonio claim that since they spoke on February 26 about their vicious dogs killing Ramon Najera, faced threats that made them live in fear.
Abilene’s sister, Destiny Marie Cardona, 26, was arrested Thursday and charged with retaliation. She was released Friday after bail was set at $25,000, KSAT reported.
Belinda Rodriguez claims Cardona told her neighbor, ‘You’re going to pay for this. We will kill your son, bring him to you, find you and kill you.”
Rodriguez and others have filed multiple complaints against the pit bull owners – Cardona’s sister Abilene and her husband Christian – since their three dogs escaped through a hole in their fence to maul and kill Najera, leaving his wife and two other men injured.
Destiny Marie Cardona, 26, told her sister Abilene’s neighbor: “You’re going to pay for this. We will kill your son, bring him to you, find you and kill you.” She was arrested on Thursday for retaliation
Firefighters were forced to use pickaxes and metal poles to fend off the wild animals
Neighbors of the couple arrested after fatal dog attack in San Antonio speak out after receiving threats.
A woman has already been arrested in retaliation, but people on the block tell me they refuse to remain silent about what they saw. pic.twitter.com/jrmaodvgtP
— Jordan Elder (@JordanElderTV) March 11, 2023
“Our department will not tolerate allegations of retaliation. We take these calls very seriously,” replied Lt. Michelle Ramos of the San Antonio Police Department responded to the complaints. “We encourage the residents – please call us. We will fully investigate these cases.’
Cardona faces two to ten years in prison if found guilty of retaliation.
Moreno was arrested and charged with criminal negligence – attack by a dangerous dog resulting in death and injury to the elderly and remains in prison. His wife Schnieder was slapped with the same allegations.
Ramon Najera, 81, had been trying to protect his wife, 74, from the couple’s three pit bulls after they broke loose from a yard and beat him to death on February 26. His wife and two other men were also injured in the attack.
The dogs had attacked two other people in the neighborhood on two separate occasions, and new evidence suggests the criminal couple “trained” them to be vicious killers.
Investigators told news4sanantonio that the pit bulls easily escaped from their yard through a hole in the fence.
According to the arrest report, witness video showed the dogs were not wearing collars or harnesses — a requirement of Animal Control Services (ACS). Moreno had told investigators that he had followed the guidelines.
Police said they received evidence that Moreno and Schnieder “bred the dogs and trained the dogs to be aggressive with meat.”
Belinda Rodriguez (pictured) said Cardona threatened her neighbor
Christian Alexander Moreno has been arrested and charged with criminal negligence – dangerous dog attack resulting in death and injury to elderly and remains in prison. His wife Abilene Schneider, 31, was also slapped with the same allegations
The affidavit further states that Schneider also “recorded conversations with her husband about how dangerous the dogs had become. ‘
The three terrifying American Staffordshire Terriers were euthanized and “multiple reports of the dogs’ violent behavior” surfaced after the fatal attack.
After the incident and before her arrest, Schnieder claimed her husband was not responsible for the attack and that they took care when raising the dogs.
After the first few attacks, the dogs had been removed from their possession, but they were quickly returned after the couple’s children begged for their return.
“We came back and I saw the dogs behind the gate, but they were covered in blood,” Schneider told local broadcaster KENS5.
“It’s traumatizing to see my dogs, which I’ve raised since they were puppies, do this to someone.”
Ramon Najera, 81, had been trying to protect his wife, 74, from the pit bulls after they broke free from a yard and beat him to death on February 26
“We are sincerely sorry but my husband is not responsible,” she added, claiming they did everything in their power to prevent the dogs – King, Snow and Legend – from escaping.
Schnieder said she was trying to raise the money to get her husband released on bail — his bail was set at $125,000.
When the two got home, they saw their dogs were out of their harnesses and were told by first responders that their dogs had attacked four people and killed one.
Schnieder described how the dogs could be a handful and that they had escaped before. They had been involved in two attacks, one with King and two with Snow. Still, she said they weren’t raised to be aggressive.
“We never hit her, neglected her, never abused her,” she said.
Following last month’s attacks, the dogs were temporarily confiscated by Animal Care Services.
The 31-year-old claimed neither she nor her husband wanted the dogs back, but their children did. “I thought those dogs weren’t for us anymore,” she said.
The grandchildren of Najera and his wife Janie paid tribute to their grandfather and created a GoFundMe page to help pay for their grandfather’s funeral expenses and medical bills for their grandmother’s injuries.
“A native of San Antonio, Ramon was a US Air Force veteran and an adventurous, outgoing and loving family man,” they wrote.
“He was recently placed on dialysis but was determined to live life to the fullest despite his poor health.”
Carlos Gomez, Ramon’s stepson and Janie’s son, said on Facebook that his stepfather is a “strong man” who, despite his age, he would train to work as a security guard.
‘He was getting ready to start his security job again, so they stopped at a seamstress. My stepfather had some work done on his uniform when they were viciously attacked by these dogs,” he wrote.
After more than one attack in recent months, the dogs have been temporarily confiscated by Animal Care Services. Schnieder claims neither she nor her husband (both pictured) wanted the dogs back, but their children did
Firefighters can be seen holding their metal pickaxes to drive the animals away
The attack happened at the 2800 block of Depla Street, on the west side of town, where Najeras and his wife were visiting friends.
As they got out of their car, the pair were attacked by the two American Staffordshire Terriers.
When the San Antonio Fire Department arrived at the scene around 1:45 p.m., “the dogs were still actively attacking the couple,” police said.
Firefighters described the scene as “terrifying” as Najera was dragged by the animals as emergency services attempted to intervene.
“As they turned the corner, they could see a man being pulled by a dog. He was covered in blood before they got out of the truck,” San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said at the scene.
They had to use their pickaxes to get the dogs to loosen their grip.
A rescue captain was bitten in the leg during the rescue attempt.
San Antonio Animal Care Services later confirmed that the dogs involved in the incident would both be euthanized. A third dog, who was present but not involved, was also euthanized.
Snow pictured with her puppies, 7 males and 2 females. Snow has been involved in two attacks in the past month, as well as in the fatal attack last week
San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said his employees were most likely traumatized by the gruesome scene
Emergency services at the scene of the fatal dog attack
“It’s not normal for us. Normally, we don’t have to defend patients from animals or ourselves. The firefighters were very heroic in this instance using pickaxes and whistles against these pit bulls to try to get to the patients,” Hood said.
“Two people were ill-treated, with one confirmed fatality being treated at the scene and blood supplied, along with a woman in critical condition. Another person was bitten on the hand and also taken to the hospital.
“It was a horrific scene and a horrific experience for everyone involved, including the firefighters, who were essentially a rescue to save themselves,” Hood said.
Hood said the entire experience likely “scarred emotionally” the firefighters. “Nobody expects to go out and fight dogs in a situation like today,” he said.
Both women who were attacked were taken to University Hospital for treatment. A woman was in critical condition after the attack, but her current condition is unknown.