DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit Police say his dogs mauled an innocent little girl to death in her neighborhood in southwest Detroit on August 19.
Now a judge at 36th District Court in Detroit has ruled there is enough evidence for Pierre Cleveland’s case to be bound over to Third Circuit Court. This means it is one step closer to trial.
Nine-year-old Emma Hernandez was out riding her bike with her 13-year-old brother. Family members were nearby. They tried to pull the dogs off her, but could not in time.
Witnesses testified that dogs got out of a yard and then attacked her. The dogs belonged to Cleveland.
During the preliminary exam, prosecutors shared video of a detective questioning Cleveland. The 33-year-old is emotional. In the video he moans, bangs his head on the table and talks about the little girl.
“My life is over,” he says at one point.
He tells police that he lost his fingers in an accident on work, so he was on painkillers when the tragedy happened. He left his dogs in his backyard while he left to cash his last paycheck. When he returned he learned what happened.
“I didn’t expect my dogs to bite nobody,” he tells the detective in the recording.
Later he can be heard saying, “It is my fault. My dogs killed that girl.”
He was bound over on all charges, which include second degree murder, dangerous animal causing death, and involuntary manslaughter.
