SANTA BARBARA, Calif.- A dog owner is in trouble with the law after police say her dog bit a young girl's face, then failed to report it.
On July 5th, Santa Barbara Police say 57-year-old Jean Synder's dog, who's been identified as a lab mix bit a 5-year-old girl's face. Police say the victim and her family were walking in downtown Santa Barbara when they met Synder's dog. When Synder agreed to let the victim pet her dog is when police say the dog bit her.
"The owner of the dog, the suspect in this case failed to exchange information with the victim's family and tried to walk away from the scene," says Sergeant Riley Harwood, Santa Barbara Police Department.
Quickly after, the victim's parents were able to catch up with her.
"The suspect then provided false information to her identity and license information of her dog," says Harwood.
The 5-year-old girl was taken to Cottage Hospital, but it wasn't until weeks later, police were able to locate Synder.
"However she brought an animal that actually was not the animal she had at the time of the incident and reported that one to have been the animal involved," says Harwood.
Synder used to live in the neighborhood on Kalley Drive in Goleta and her former neighbors say Synder's dog has attacked before.
"It doesn't matter what sort of dog it is, it's the temperament and how you raise it," says Mark Maunz, former neighbor.
The case has been turned over to the District Attorney's Office as they continue to investigate. The victim is expected to be okay.
