For those who recall the Viszla/Van fire

rwbeagles

Posted : 4/10/2007 2:50:23 PM

This was emailed to me today...do crosspost as you like.
I am placing it here as many would probably like an update and mightn't see it in Advocacy. I will move it there later on...
 
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Dear friends and fellow dog lovers,

Although a note on this subject has already been posted, I would like to personally appeal to my fellow Vizsla lovers on behalf of the families of the dogs that perished in OH to do everything we can to persuade the judge to give the maximum sentence to the man who committed this horrible crime. I want to also take this opportunity to clarify a few points. If you have already written a letter or do not care to read further, now is a good time to delete this rather long note.

For those of you that may not know, my van was stolen from outside the hotel as I was loading up to go to the Rubber City show in OH on January 7. It was a cold day and I started the engine to warm the pups and ran back in to get the rest of my belongings. When I ran back out, it was gone. It was found in a field, and the interior had been set on fire. There were two wonderful pups that I had bred and co-owned with two other families, just 17 months of age that perished inside their crates. Logan and Nedda are missed more than words could possibly say, and will never be forgotten. Thankfully, the doors and windows were closed and they died peacefully when they ran out of oxygen. There was no sign that they suffered or struggled, and the fire went out.

The case has been solved. The man who committed this crime, Santo Labajetta, has confessed. His girlfriend, though not part of the incident, had been arrested some weeks ago on charges of obstructing justice and tampering with evidence. He came forward when it was apparent that her case was going to trial and she might likely have to serve jail time. In exchange for dropping the charges against her, he confessed to grand theft and arson. There are no further charges that can be brought against him unless we pursue a civil suit, which my husband and I are considering. As outrageous as it is, dogs are considered property under the law, so options are painfully limited. Cruelty to animals is only a misdemeanor, and the charges he confessed to are more serious, they are felonies. How stealing a van can be considered worse than killing two innocent animals is a subject for another time.

Labajetta claims he did not know the dogs were in the vehicle. This is something a number of people have asked about, so here are the facts. The dogs were in airline crates that were strapped down, with the doors of the crates facing the back of the van. There were no seats behind the driver and passenger, allowing clear view of the crates to the back of the vehicle. The dogs were not visible from the driver or passenger seats. However, Labajetta searched the van thoroughly, opening every bag, box and compartment. If we use the (unlikely) presumption that he did not know the large containers in the back were dog crates, he certainly would have looked inside them to see if there was anything of value. In addition, the hotel where he stole the van was filled with dogs and the area was active that morning with people loading up.

Our objective now is to insure that the judge give Labajetta the maximum punishment when the sentencing takes place, on April 25 at 10 AM. That's where my plea for help comes in. We must inundate the judge's office with letters of outrage. This man has been in trouble with the law many times. He has been picked up and has been arrested on several alcohol related charges. He has stolen numerous vehicles and stole a trash truck once. He has gotten off with suspended sentences and has been instructed to get alcohol counseling.

The prosecutor, Ms. Kim Kaplan thinks that writing letters to the judge and cc'ing Ms. Kaplan will be effective. However, it's important to stick to this case and speak of the relevant issues without inflammatory language that is out of perspective. For instance (as much as we might like to say it and see it happen), it will NOT be helpful to write to the judge and say we would like to see him strung up, tied to a seat in a vehicle and set it on fire, etc. Ms. Kaplan feels this is a good judge and she will take everything into account in setting the sentence. Points to make in a letter are that this man is not a first time offender and that this time he stole a vehicle and chose to set it on fire, it destroyed the lives and dreams of several people. Express just how much those dogs meant to those families. Encourage the judge to give him the maximum sentence allowed under the law. Bring to her attention that he has been arrested before and has had suspended sentences
 despite several incidents. We do not want that to happen in this case, etc.

Here are the addresses:

The Honorable Elinore Marsh Stormer
209 South High Street
Akron, OH 44308

Assistant Prosecutor Kim Kaplan
209 South High Street
Akron, OH 44308

This horrible experience has shown me the opposite ends of the human spectrum. I am deeply touched by the outpouring of concern and the compassion of so many people. Please know that every call, card, note of support has helped all of us to survive these past few months, especially the families who lived with and loved these pups so much. I want to thank each and every person who has donated to the reward fund, has written to all of us and helped us through this ordeal.

If you have any questions, please write to me privately and I will try to answer them. In the meantime, let us work together to show that we are outraged by this senseless act.

My deepest thanks,
Ida Tenenbom"[/color]