tiny dancer
2005-11-28 07:26:34 UTC
This case was discussed here when it first happened and I came upon this
update. Photo's at link below:
Family of mauled girl lives with anguish daily
Months after child's death, family still has frustrations, memories
By Bryan Chambers
The Herald-Dispatch
November 27, 2005
HUNTINGTON -- Arianna Fleeman lived as if she knew she would die at the
tender age of 2, her parents say.
The sassy, carefree child wasn't spoiled, but did as she pleased.
Whenever her mother put her brown, shoulder-length hair in a ponytail, it
wouldn't take long for Arianna to yank out the rubber band. She preferred
that her hair cover her face.
Arianna's beaming smile also was known to get her out of trouble, like the
time that she and her partner in crime, 4-year-old sister Neairah, scribbled
all over their parents' entertainment center with markers.
"Those are the memories that we like to dwell on. We like to think of her as
she was and sometimes, as she might have been," said Lucile Fleeman,
Arianna's grandmother. "It brings a tear to our heart, but a smile to our
face."
Those memories are equally shared with the unrelenting anguish that
Arianna's family has felt since she was mauled to death May 17 by an
80-pound pit bull terrier at the Guyandotte home of Donald and Pamela
Brewer.
The dog, named Brutus, was euthanized a few days after the attack, and the
Brewers were indicted in September by a Cabell County grand jury on charges
of misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter. A hearing is set for Dec. 6 to
determine whether the charge against Donald Brewer will be dismissed.
Until now, few details about the attack and the circumstances of that night
have been released. The Fleeman family says that as they try to deal with
their pain, they have heard rumors about why Brittany Fleeman was at the
Brewers' Buffington Street home with her daughters that night and whether
she knew they were in danger.
"We have enough grief," Lucile Fleeman said. "We continue to ask ourselves
why we have to bear the burden of defending ourselves as well."
A night of terror
Arianna's parents were introduced to the Brewers about a month before the
attack. Brittany's sister, Erin Mullins, and her 5-year-old daughter were
living with the Brewers at the time.
There was a quick connection between Jason Fleeman, Arianna's father, and
Donald Brewer, because both were landscapers. As the two got to know each
other, Donald Brewer mentioned that they should launch a business together,
Jason said.
On the day of the attack, Jason injured his ankle while cutting grass on a
hillside, and decided to have it checked out at St. Mary's Medical Center,
he said. Before he went to the hospital, he stopped by the Brewers' home to
tell Donald that they might have to put their business plans on hold.
"(Pamela Brewer) kept asking me to go get my wife and kids and bring them
over so she would have someone to talk to," Jason said. "I thought about it,
and finally I gave in."
Jason said he was aware that the Brewers had a pit bull, and had even played
with the dog before.
"Most of the time, they kept the dog out back," Jason said. "They said it
was protective, not aggressivae."
Jason drove back to his home in Lesage, picked up Brittany, Arianna and
Neairah, and dropped them off at the Brewers' house while he went to St.
Mary's, he said.
Minutes after Brittany and the kids got to the house, the Brewers received a
phone call and told their guests they had to leave, but would be back
shortly, Brittany said.
"They didn't say what the phone call was about, and didn't say anything
about the dog being in the house," Brittany said.
As they waited on an enclosed porch, Brittany said she got thirsty, so she
opened the front door to the home and walked into the kitchen to get
something to drink. Arianna and Neairah followed.
A teenage girl who was not related to the Brewers was cooking in the kitchen
when Brittany walked in, she said. As she was getting a glass, Brutus walked
into the kitchen and jumped up on Neairah in a playful manner, Brittany
said.
"I told the dog to get down, and he got down," she said. "Then he attacked
Arianna. She didn't do anything to provoke him."
Too distraught to talk, Brittany let her sister-in-law, Kristina Fleeman,
finish the story.
"Before Brutus bit Arianna, she turned to Brittany and said 'Mommy, he likes
me,' " Kristina said. "She turned back around, and Brutus attacked her from
behind."
Brittany suffered serious hand injuries as she tried to free Arianna's head
from the dog's jaws. By the time Huntington firefighters arrived, they found
a desperate Brittany with Neairah in the front yard screaming and covered in
blood while Arianna's lifeless body lay inside the house.
The dog wouldn't let anyone inside to retrieve Arianna and was ramming the
front door like a bull. Firefighters eventually got in the house by holding
the dog off with a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher, which was used to
freeze the dog's face.
By the time they got to Arianna, there were no vital signs. Doctors at
Cabell Huntington Hospital later told the family that Arianna most likely
died quickly primarily from serious neck injuries.
Conflicting stories
Citing legal reasons, the Fleeman family declined to say exactly how much
they knew about the dog before the attack, such as whether they were aware
it was under quarantine for biting a man in the Guyandotte area in early
May. However, Jason said the Brewers gave them no indication that they would
be in any danger.
"I would have never brought my family to that house if I thought they were
in danger," he said. "Everyone keeps saying that we weren't supposed to be
there, but (Pamela Brewer) invited us there. No one ever mentions that."
"There's been so much said about the 'Beware of Dog' signs posted at the
house that a lot of people will say in the next breath, 'Well, Brittany
should have known,' " Lucile added. "She and her children were invited to
the home. When you are invited into someone's home, you expect a level of
personal safety. Why would Brittany have expected anything differently?"
The Fleeman's story is disputed by Donald Brewer's attorney, George Stolze.
"They knew that dog was under quarantine for biting someone, and there
probably wasn't any problem with anyone being around it as long as the
owners were on the premises," Stolze said. "But the owners were not there
when whatever happened happened. No one had any business being in that house
while they were gone, and the Fleemans were warned not to go in."
Stolze described the attack as a tragedy, and said he is not suggesting
through his comments that Brittany Fleeman should be criminally charged.
"The whole thing is tragic. A small child is dead," Stolze said. "On the
other hand, certain people have to accept responsibility. The incident was
entirely preventable, but the questions are who was the last person that
could have prevented it, and who put the child in harm's way. It wasn't the
Brewers."
The 'new normal'
No matter what happens legally to the Brewers, it will not erase the
agonizing pain the Fleeman family has felt over the past six months, Lucile
Fleeman said.
"The night of May 17 changed everything in this family's life," she said.
"Everything from that point on, I refer to as the new normal for us. It's
been a nightmare ever since."
The family has struggled through joyous occasions with a feeling of
emptiness. In early October, Kristina Fleeman, Arianna's aunt, gave birth to
her second child. They wonder how Arianna would have reacted to her new baby
cousin.
They also celebrated what would have been Arianna's third birthday on Oct.
28. In remembrance, they lit three candles in the parking lot of their place
of worship, Riverview United Methodist Church in Altizer, and released three
helium-filled balloons."
Lucile Fleeman said the releasing of balloons now is a ritual for every
birthday they celebrate to let the children in the family know that Arianna
has not been forgotten.
"We encourage the kids to talk about Arianna and what happened if they
choose to," she said. "We want them to know that we still love her and miss
her."
Arianna's death particularly has taken an emotional toll on her sister,
Neairah, who witnessed the attack. Jason said one of the hardest moments for
him in the weeks after the attack was watching her draw pictures.
"When she would draw, the only color she would use was red," he said.
"Everything was red -- bloody -- after that.
"Neairah's real lonely. It wasn't just her sister that she lost. Arianna was
her best friend."
Yet, Neairah has provided some of the most uplifting moments for the family,
said Cindy Brown, Arianna's aunt. Occasionally, she will catch some of the
adults in the family quietly crying.
"Neairah will just look at you and say, 'Why are you crying? It's OK.
Sissy's an angel now,' " Brown said.
If there's one thing that people should know about Arianna, it's that she
was a hero, her father said. Jason said he never thought to use that word to
describe his daughter until after a conversation he had with Neairah about
the attack.
"Neairah told me that Arianna saved her life. She said that Brutus was going
after her, and somehow, Arianna got his attention," he said. "I believe it.
She must have had more heart than a lot of grown men that I know."
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051127/NEWS01/511270325/1001/NEWS
update. Photo's at link below:
Family of mauled girl lives with anguish daily
Months after child's death, family still has frustrations, memories
By Bryan Chambers
The Herald-Dispatch
November 27, 2005
HUNTINGTON -- Arianna Fleeman lived as if she knew she would die at the
tender age of 2, her parents say.
The sassy, carefree child wasn't spoiled, but did as she pleased.
Whenever her mother put her brown, shoulder-length hair in a ponytail, it
wouldn't take long for Arianna to yank out the rubber band. She preferred
that her hair cover her face.
Arianna's beaming smile also was known to get her out of trouble, like the
time that she and her partner in crime, 4-year-old sister Neairah, scribbled
all over their parents' entertainment center with markers.
"Those are the memories that we like to dwell on. We like to think of her as
she was and sometimes, as she might have been," said Lucile Fleeman,
Arianna's grandmother. "It brings a tear to our heart, but a smile to our
face."
Those memories are equally shared with the unrelenting anguish that
Arianna's family has felt since she was mauled to death May 17 by an
80-pound pit bull terrier at the Guyandotte home of Donald and Pamela
Brewer.
The dog, named Brutus, was euthanized a few days after the attack, and the
Brewers were indicted in September by a Cabell County grand jury on charges
of misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter. A hearing is set for Dec. 6 to
determine whether the charge against Donald Brewer will be dismissed.
Until now, few details about the attack and the circumstances of that night
have been released. The Fleeman family says that as they try to deal with
their pain, they have heard rumors about why Brittany Fleeman was at the
Brewers' Buffington Street home with her daughters that night and whether
she knew they were in danger.
"We have enough grief," Lucile Fleeman said. "We continue to ask ourselves
why we have to bear the burden of defending ourselves as well."
A night of terror
Arianna's parents were introduced to the Brewers about a month before the
attack. Brittany's sister, Erin Mullins, and her 5-year-old daughter were
living with the Brewers at the time.
There was a quick connection between Jason Fleeman, Arianna's father, and
Donald Brewer, because both were landscapers. As the two got to know each
other, Donald Brewer mentioned that they should launch a business together,
Jason said.
On the day of the attack, Jason injured his ankle while cutting grass on a
hillside, and decided to have it checked out at St. Mary's Medical Center,
he said. Before he went to the hospital, he stopped by the Brewers' home to
tell Donald that they might have to put their business plans on hold.
"(Pamela Brewer) kept asking me to go get my wife and kids and bring them
over so she would have someone to talk to," Jason said. "I thought about it,
and finally I gave in."
Jason said he was aware that the Brewers had a pit bull, and had even played
with the dog before.
"Most of the time, they kept the dog out back," Jason said. "They said it
was protective, not aggressivae."
Jason drove back to his home in Lesage, picked up Brittany, Arianna and
Neairah, and dropped them off at the Brewers' house while he went to St.
Mary's, he said.
Minutes after Brittany and the kids got to the house, the Brewers received a
phone call and told their guests they had to leave, but would be back
shortly, Brittany said.
"They didn't say what the phone call was about, and didn't say anything
about the dog being in the house," Brittany said.
As they waited on an enclosed porch, Brittany said she got thirsty, so she
opened the front door to the home and walked into the kitchen to get
something to drink. Arianna and Neairah followed.
A teenage girl who was not related to the Brewers was cooking in the kitchen
when Brittany walked in, she said. As she was getting a glass, Brutus walked
into the kitchen and jumped up on Neairah in a playful manner, Brittany
said.
"I told the dog to get down, and he got down," she said. "Then he attacked
Arianna. She didn't do anything to provoke him."
Too distraught to talk, Brittany let her sister-in-law, Kristina Fleeman,
finish the story.
"Before Brutus bit Arianna, she turned to Brittany and said 'Mommy, he likes
me,' " Kristina said. "She turned back around, and Brutus attacked her from
behind."
Brittany suffered serious hand injuries as she tried to free Arianna's head
from the dog's jaws. By the time Huntington firefighters arrived, they found
a desperate Brittany with Neairah in the front yard screaming and covered in
blood while Arianna's lifeless body lay inside the house.
The dog wouldn't let anyone inside to retrieve Arianna and was ramming the
front door like a bull. Firefighters eventually got in the house by holding
the dog off with a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher, which was used to
freeze the dog's face.
By the time they got to Arianna, there were no vital signs. Doctors at
Cabell Huntington Hospital later told the family that Arianna most likely
died quickly primarily from serious neck injuries.
Conflicting stories
Citing legal reasons, the Fleeman family declined to say exactly how much
they knew about the dog before the attack, such as whether they were aware
it was under quarantine for biting a man in the Guyandotte area in early
May. However, Jason said the Brewers gave them no indication that they would
be in any danger.
"I would have never brought my family to that house if I thought they were
in danger," he said. "Everyone keeps saying that we weren't supposed to be
there, but (Pamela Brewer) invited us there. No one ever mentions that."
"There's been so much said about the 'Beware of Dog' signs posted at the
house that a lot of people will say in the next breath, 'Well, Brittany
should have known,' " Lucile added. "She and her children were invited to
the home. When you are invited into someone's home, you expect a level of
personal safety. Why would Brittany have expected anything differently?"
The Fleeman's story is disputed by Donald Brewer's attorney, George Stolze.
"They knew that dog was under quarantine for biting someone, and there
probably wasn't any problem with anyone being around it as long as the
owners were on the premises," Stolze said. "But the owners were not there
when whatever happened happened. No one had any business being in that house
while they were gone, and the Fleemans were warned not to go in."
Stolze described the attack as a tragedy, and said he is not suggesting
through his comments that Brittany Fleeman should be criminally charged.
"The whole thing is tragic. A small child is dead," Stolze said. "On the
other hand, certain people have to accept responsibility. The incident was
entirely preventable, but the questions are who was the last person that
could have prevented it, and who put the child in harm's way. It wasn't the
Brewers."
The 'new normal'
No matter what happens legally to the Brewers, it will not erase the
agonizing pain the Fleeman family has felt over the past six months, Lucile
Fleeman said.
"The night of May 17 changed everything in this family's life," she said.
"Everything from that point on, I refer to as the new normal for us. It's
been a nightmare ever since."
The family has struggled through joyous occasions with a feeling of
emptiness. In early October, Kristina Fleeman, Arianna's aunt, gave birth to
her second child. They wonder how Arianna would have reacted to her new baby
cousin.
They also celebrated what would have been Arianna's third birthday on Oct.
28. In remembrance, they lit three candles in the parking lot of their place
of worship, Riverview United Methodist Church in Altizer, and released three
helium-filled balloons."
Lucile Fleeman said the releasing of balloons now is a ritual for every
birthday they celebrate to let the children in the family know that Arianna
has not been forgotten.
"We encourage the kids to talk about Arianna and what happened if they
choose to," she said. "We want them to know that we still love her and miss
her."
Arianna's death particularly has taken an emotional toll on her sister,
Neairah, who witnessed the attack. Jason said one of the hardest moments for
him in the weeks after the attack was watching her draw pictures.
"When she would draw, the only color she would use was red," he said.
"Everything was red -- bloody -- after that.
"Neairah's real lonely. It wasn't just her sister that she lost. Arianna was
her best friend."
Yet, Neairah has provided some of the most uplifting moments for the family,
said Cindy Brown, Arianna's aunt. Occasionally, she will catch some of the
adults in the family quietly crying.
"Neairah will just look at you and say, 'Why are you crying? It's OK.
Sissy's an angel now,' " Brown said.
If there's one thing that people should know about Arianna, it's that she
was a hero, her father said. Jason said he never thought to use that word to
describe his daughter until after a conversation he had with Neairah about
the attack.
"Neairah told me that Arianna saved her life. She said that Brutus was going
after her, and somehow, Arianna got his attention," he said. "I believe it.
She must have had more heart than a lot of grown men that I know."
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051127/NEWS01/511270325/1001/NEWS