Hawai'i Police Department has released the identity of a 71-year-old man who was mauled to death by four dogs Tuesday morning.
"There is currently no evidence that the victim provoked this horrific attack," HPD Police Chief Ben Moszkowicz said in a news release from the department. "This incident is a senseless tragedy that could have been avoided."
The Hawai'i Police Department has disclosed the identity of the individual who tragically succumbed to a dog attack in Ocean View Estates as Robert Northrop, a resident of Ocean View, the news release said.
While conducting an investigation into the death, HPD is looking into the incident as a case of "Negligent Failure to Control a Dangerous Dog".
As indicated in an incident report released by HPD, Ka‘ū patrol officers received notification of an animal-related concern at 8:59 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 1. The incident took place in the 92-2000 block of Outrigger Drive within the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates neighborhood.
Upon arriving at the scene, officers discovered Northrop unconscious on the road. According to law enforcement, a witness recounted hearing a disturbance near his residence. Upon investigating, the witness observed Northrop being "assaulted by four large dogs" in the roadway. The witness intervened by chasing the dogs away and subsequently alerted both the police and paramedics for assistance.
HPD reports indicate the owners of the dogs were absent at the time of the incident, however, they have since been identified and contacted by police. Investigators are looking into allegations that the dogs previously had been documented as strays. The owners have willingly relinquished custody of all four canines, along with a litter of 10 puppies, to the Hawai'i County Animal Control and Protection Agency.
Notably, Hawai'i County Code section 4-4-32, which underwent its most recent revision in 2022, establishes failure to take appropriate precautions against an unprovoked dog attack that leads to severe bodily harm or loss of life as a felony crime. This violation has been classified as a Class B Felony by investigators. Should the dog owners be found guilty under this provision, they may incur a fine of up $25,000, a maximum imprisonment term of 10 years, restitution and/or the humane euthanasia of the involved dogs, according to another HPD release.