One of two defendants named in a dog attack case appeared in District Court Tuesday morning as required.
The other, did not.
Anna Garcia appeared before District Magistrate Judge Mike Winner at 11 a.m., Tuesday morning. Garcia and her husband, Ernest Luis Garcia, failed to appear for court in April and bench warrants were issued for their arrest. Ernest Garcia once again failed to appear Tuesday.
Grant County Attorney Kelly Premer-Chavez told Winner that Anna Garcia wished to waive her right to a bench trial and waive her right to an attorney. According to Premer-Chavez, Anna Garcia wished to plead guilty to the charges.
The charges filed in District Court, permitting a vicious animal to be at large, were the result of an attack February 13 by two dogs belonging to the Garcias.
Alice Baker's dog Jenny died from her injuries and Baker suffered injuries to her hand when she tried to intervene and save her pet.
Judge Winner found Anna Garcia guilty of the charges and she was ordered to pay $7 to Baker for antibiotics; $225 to Baker for the cost of an urn; $194 to the Ulysses Police Department for vet bills; $500 fine and $158 court costs for a total of $1,048.
No fines were assessed for the care the dogs were given since being picked up by Ulysses Police Department.
The court gave Garcia until December 1, 2025, to have the fines paid. If her payments are made in full by 9 a.m., December 1, she does not need to appear in court that day. If they are not paid, she is required to appear and may face 30 days in jail.
Winner also ordered that the two dogs owned by the Garcias be euthanized. Anna Garcia told the court she would like to see the animals before they are put down.
Winner advised Anna Garcia that she would need to contact Ulysses Police Department to see if it was possible.
A bench warrant for failure to appear will be issued for Ernest Garcia, who did not show up for the court hearing. Anna Garcia told the court he was "on his way" from work. He was given an additional 30 minutes to appear - which he did not.
Alice Baker was given the opportunity to address the court.
Fighting back tears, Baker said she feels better now that she knows the dogs will not be able to hurt anyone else or their pets. As she was returning to her seat, Anna Garcia told her she was "sorry."
"I haven't ever had a problem with them (and) I didn't even know they were out," Anna said.
Visibly upset, Baker responded.
"You should have had to look at my dog when they got done with her," Baker said.
Baker told The Ulysses News, she is now able to "rest better."
"I will rest better knowing they will never get out and hurt anyone else," she said. "It took me until May to get my blood pressure down. I have been in the ER three times. I try not to think about what happened to my little Jenny."
Baker takes comfort in her new friend, a little Shih Tzu she has named Bailey.
"She helps a lot," Baker said.
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