A Weld County Court judge determined the 7-year-old boy police say was injured during an attack by a German shepherd in March can testify in the case against the dog’s owner.
During a hearing Thursday, Weld County Court Judge Charles Unfug said he found the boy mentally capable of testifying in court after listening to the boy give testimony and answer questions under cross-examination.
That means jurors in the Aug. 28 trial could hear a first-hand account of the attack that resulted in charges of owning a dangerous dog and child abuse involving negligence against Robert Castillo and his dog Jewelz. Police say Jewelz attacked the boy at the Castillo family’s home, sending him to the hospital with severe injuries — cuts and punctures to his head and neck, and part of his ear torn off.
Castillo’s attorney, Andrea Hall argued neither Diaz nor his younger brother should be allowed to testify because “someone is coaching these children and telling them what to say.”
Read the full story at GreeleyTribune.com.
The boy’s babysitter, Patricia Castillo, faces charges after she allegedly provided false information to police about the dog attack. She initially told police the boy was attacked by a strange dog while they were walking to a park.
