Pit bull owner denied release

Dog owner Ricky Davidson will remain behind bars until his next scheduled court appearance in a month.

Davidson, 40, was arrested on March 13 after his three pit bulls allegedly mauled an elderly Pahrump man who was tending to a neighbor’s cats at a residence on Black Street. Two people who came to the victim’s aid were also sent to the hospital.

Davidson was arrested on additional charges of animals running at large, and allowing his animals to attack another.

Judge Ron Kent denied a request by Davidson’s attorney on Wednesday that he be released on his own recognizance, despite the fact charges have not been filed in the case.

Nye County prosecutor Michael Vieta-Kabell said charges will be forthcoming as the investigation continues, noting numerous additional cases active against Davidson.

Davidson was cited in February of 2013 for allowing the dogs to run loose, and on Aug. 19, 2014 when police said the dogs attacked another animal. An additional citation was given to Davidson on Sept. 1, 2014 when his dogs were running loose again.

Davidson had been previously released from jail on his own recognizance for drug charges, but has since had bail revoked and set bail at $5,000 bond or $499 cash for the drug charges. He has a second bail at $2,540 bond, or $250 cash, for the March 13 dog attack.

“He’s clearly a risk to re-offend and obviously anybody who commits crime after crime, after crime, is a danger to the community,” Vieta-Kabell said.

Chamlee said Davidson has family locally, has lived in Pahrump five years and has maintained steady employment with the same company for more than four years.

“I believe that he doesn’t present a risk to the community and he has ties to the community,” Chamlee said. “He is a low flight risk, so we would move for an own recognizance release today.”

Vieta-Kabell said the defendant’s living arrangements were short-lived at best, after speaking with other people involved in the cases.

“He was in the most recent place for approximately one week and not paying rent,” he said. “He may have family here, but his own personal roots are not deep enough to constitute a reliable assurance that he will stick around. I would ask that you keep him in custody on his active cases as the bail is currently set. I think it was a wise bail when you set it.”

Chamlee also told Kent when her client learned that sheriff’s deputies were en route to arrest Davidson, he was preparing to surrender.

“He immediately turned himself in at his house,” she said. “He did not try to flee from authorities and he has been cooperative.”

Vieta-Kabell was quick to counter that assertion, stating police arrested him “while he was packing his suitcase.”

Kent was not swayed and remanded Davidson.

Police said the three pit bulls jumped over a six-foot fence and started brutally attacking victim Kenneth Ford. Davidson is a tenant on the property, and lives in one of two residences on the site. The dog attack continued even after one of the men shot two of the dogs.

Ford, who was the worst of the three victims injured in the attack, remains in intensive care at University Medical Center trauma in Las Vegas.

Davidson is next scheduled to appear in court on April 29 at 9 a.m.

Two of the pit bulls remain in county custody, but the third dog was euthanized due to a gunshot wound.