ARLINGTON, Texas — A man has been arrested in the pit bull attack that left another man seriously injured in Arlington last month, police said.
Eric Moten, 31, faces a felony charge of attack by dog resulting in serious bodily injury, according to Arlington police. He was located on Wednesday and booked into the Tarrant County jail, where his bond was set at $10,000.
Arlington officials said the victim, identified as Terrance Marshall, was attacked by dogs at an apartment complex on Ridgeglen Drive on Feb. 12. City officials said he was taken to an area hospital with injuries that were serious but not life-threatening, according to the police report.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Marshall told police he had gone outside to check the weather when he was attacked by five pitbulls.
A witness called 911 and told police who the dogs belonged to, noting that the dogs were "always in the courtyard unsecured."
Marshall was taken to a hospital where he was treated for a two-inch cut on his arm that went to the bone, more cuts to his arm and head, a puncture wound on his nose and various punctures to his feet.
He had to receive 79 stitches to his wounds.
According to the warrant, Moten in December was cited for leaving his dogs in vacant apartments, which they destroyed. Also in December, one of his dogs bit someone at his apartment complex, the warrant said.
WFAA spoke with Marshall, who explained what happened.
"I walked outside and the dogs were barking … normally they bark and just go about their business," Marshall said. "But the owner of the dog ran toward me to grab the dog that was walking toward me. Apparently, they took that as a threat and that’s when all of them rushed me."
Marshall told WFAA that when the dogs rushed him, one dog was biting his arm and he hit that dog in the jaw. Another dog grabbed him on the ear, and two other dogs bit through his work boots, one on each leg. And then another dog bit him on the back of the head, leaving a big gash, Marshall said.
"I was thinking ‘not today, I’m not – I’m not dying today. I’m not gonna go today.’ So, I just fought and just fought and just fought," Marshall told WFAA.