A tragic incident unfolded in Bacliff where a man was attacked and subsequently killed by his own dogs, as recounted by neighbors and confirmed by the Galveston County Sheriff's Office, Jose "Eddie" Castillo, the 45-year-old victim, was in his driveway Sunday night when the attack by two of his pit bulls commenced, one neighbor, Jesus Excontitta, tried valiantly to intervene, breaking a machete in the attempt to save Castillo, and photos from surveillance footage show Excontitta arming himself with a second knife in a desperate bid to fend off the dogs.
According to an interview with KHOU, Excontitta recounted the horror, "You see there's blood everywhere," as he detailed how Castillo was pleading and he continued to stab at the dog, "I'm just, ‘Sorry, Eddie,’ and stabbing the dog and poking and poking and poking, slicing him, slicing him and poking him, poking him," the determination to save his neighbor palpable despite the attack's ferocity.
The situation's direness escalated as the assault continued, undeterred by Excontitta's efforts; it was only halted when a responding deputy shot one dog that had latched onto Castillo's arm, by then, it was too late for Castillo, who was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital in Clear Lake, both dogs involved in the attack were later euthanized and authorities have returned to Castillo's residence to locate a third dog that was absent during the incident.
"The dogs grew up with him, you know what I mean?" Excontitta told ABC13, expressing disbelief over the sudden violence from animals that were considered well-fed and part of the family Excontitta's sister, Shaine Starrett, relayed the harrowing ordeal to 911 as it unfolded, recounted the relentless nature of the attack and sharing with authorities that even after being stabbed multiple times with both a machete and a butcher knife, the dog would not release Castillo.
Previous incidents of aggression from Castillo's dogs had been reported to authorities, a fact the sheriff's office confirmed, and some neighbors had taken to avoiding the area in fear of the dogs' temperament the official advice given is for residents to alert animal control or law enforcement if confronted with a similar threat, as protocols may differ between jurisdictions, it is advisable for residents to stay informed on the proper channels for reporting aggressive animals in their area.
