A Texas man was heard pleading for his life as he was mauled to death by his pit bulls on Sunday.
The victim, identified by his family as Jose ‘Eddie’ Heriberto Padron Castillo, 45, was attacked by two of his dogs in the yard of his Bacliff home, according to the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office.
Neighbors told local media the attack started when Castillo tried to keep his dogs from going after a golf cart that passed by.
Surveillance footage obtained by KHOU showed the golf cart driving past Castillo’s home in the coastal town.
Another image showed his neighbor Jesus Excontitta jumping into action with a machete to save the man after hearing his neighbor crying out for help.
‘I heard him screaming, screaming, screaming, pleading, crying. I can still hear his voice. The dog got him by the arm, and he’s crying for help, pleading for help,’ Excontitta told KTRK.
The neighbor said he tried to intervene by stabbing at the dogs with a knife in an attempt to get them to let go.
‘One swing and boom,’ Excontitta said. ‘Hit him across the face, and he stopped completely. I tried doing the same with the other dog.’
Jose ‘Eddie’ Heriberto Padron Castillo, 45, was mauled to death by his pit bulls on Sunday
Neighbor Jesus Excontitta (pictured in surveillance footage as he ran to help) described hearing Castillo begging for his life and jumping into action to try and save him
The neighbor said he broke his first knife while successfully get one of the dogs off, but could not get the other to unlatch.
‘He was crying, pleading, pleading and crying and I’m just [saying] “Sorry, Eddie,” and stabbing the dog and poking and poking and poking, slicing him, slicing him and poking him, poking him,’ Excontitta said. ‘That dog was not letting go.’
Excontitta’s sister, Shaine Starrett, told the local news station she called 911 during the chaos.
‘My brother had stabbed it several times with the machete and then with the butcher knife and it wouldn’t stop,’ she said.
The bloodbath continued until the Galveston County Sheriff’s Officers arrived and shot the dog.
‘When deputies arrived, one dog remained latched onto the victim’s arm. In an effort to stop the attack and protect the victim, a deputy discharged his firearm, striking the dog in the center mass. The dog released the victim and retreated to a corner of the yard,’ the sheriff’s office said.
‘The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office emphasizes that deputies never want to harm an animal, but in this case, immediate action was necessary in attempt to protect the victim’s life.’
Castillo was taken to a local hospital while paramedics performed CPR, but he later died from his injuries.
Excontitta said he tried to intervene by stabbing at the dogs with a knife in an attempt to get them to let go
Neighbors told local media the attack started when Castillo tried to keep his dogs from going after a golf cart that passed by his home (pictured)
The ordeal only came to a close once cops arrived and the animal was shot. Pictured: Other officers with the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office
The dogs were taken by Galveston County Animal Control and euthanized.
‘That’s somebody we see every day. You don’t expect this to happen to, you know, somebody real close to you,’ Excontitta said.
‘It’s just a horrible experience. I didn’t think that was going to be the last time I talked to him.’
The sheriff’s office confirmed to KHOU that they had received previous calls to the area regarding aggressive dogs.
Neighbors told the local news station they avoided walked past Castillo’s home because of the dogs, while Excontitta said the pit bulls were well taken care of.
‘The dogs grew up with him, you know what I mean?’ Excontitta said. ‘They’ve always been fed, fed good and I don’t know why something like this would happen.’
The Daily Mail has contacted the sheriff’s office and Galveston County Animal Control for more information.
A GoFundMe set up to help cover his funeral costs described Castillo as ‘cherished father, son, brother and friend’.
‘[Castillo] was known for his warm spirit, infectious laugh, and unwavering kindness to everyone he met,’ the fundraiser said.
‘He brought light into the lives of so many, and the world is undeniably dimmer without him.’
