Faces of evil: Mom and two men allowed pit bull to maul six-year-old boy while he was handcuffed

A mother, her boyfriend and an uncle are all facing charges of child abuse after they handcuffed a six-year-old child, who was then attacked by a pit bull.

The incident occurred on Saturday, August 17, at a home in northeast Ohio, where officers received a call about the boy who had been bitten by the pit bull.

Angelina Williams, the boy’s mother, argued in court that she did not know it was illegal to handcuff a child, as she and the other defendants allegedly did so as punishment for him not cleaning up the dog’s feces.

He was bitten on his neck and ear and was taken to hospital, but is expected to recover, his grandmother said.

Robert Michalski Jr., the boy’s uncle, was identified as the owner of the dog and the home where the attack occurred. Williams’ boyfriend, Taylor Desiree Marvin Brown, was also there for a family visit.

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“The dog isn’t even my dog. The cuffs aren’t even my cuffs,” Williams argued in Ashland County court Wednesday, insisting she didn’t know it was illegal to handcuff a child.

‘I didn’t even know the handcuffs were illegal or that there was anything wrong with them.

“My uncle said it was okay.”

Meanwhile, Ashland County District Attorney Chris Tunnell painted a picture that sought to provide a backdrop to the disturbing series of events that culminated in the attack on the boy shortly after he was handcuffed.

“This defendant and the co-defendants handcuffed him on both hands and then put a second set of handcuffs on his feet,” Tunnell told the judge during the trio’s initial hearing.

“They tried to tie him to a chair with a rope, but when he got off the chair, he was attacked by a pit bull while he was on the ground.”

He added that Williams and two other co-defendants handcuffed the child at home that Saturday simply because he had not cleaned up the dog’s feces.

Williams insisted she didn’t know she had done anything wrong.

“I never meant any harm,” she said. “I really didn’t.”

The prosecutor added that Williams’ daughter was also present but was not involved in the attack.

Williams does not have custody of either child, but they were with him for a scheduled visit. Their father has not been identified.

The boy’s grandmother, who wished to remain anonymous, said WSAZ-3 how her grandson is expected to recover, despite the horrific nature of the incident.

“I walk in, I look at my grandson sitting on the floor and — I don’t want to curse — I think, ‘Why the hell is he in handcuffs?’” she said, recalling how she told the three suspects, “Get them off him now.”

She also described how she jumped in to help him, showing the bite marks on her hands. Still, she said she was “lucky” compared to her grandson.

“It was just a reaction, when the dog did it. I automatically reached down. I saw where the dog was going, like it was in slow motion,” she said.

After the attack, the boy’s mother, her boyfriend, and the dog’s owner were arrested, but according to the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office, Michalski and the dog had left before officers arrived.

According to detectives, the child was bound with two pairs of handcuffs, on both his hands and feet, when the dog attacked.

Officers said the dog and its owner were found hiding in a cage shortly after they were found at the scene.

Williams is accused of child endangerment, while Michalski is accused of child endangerment and tampering with evidence.

Brown is charged with child endangerment and obstruction of justice. Bail for Brown has been set at $250,000, Michalski at $150,000 and Willams at $300,000.

The boy’s grandmother said Monday she is grateful that he is recovering more than a week after his ordeal.

“He’s a sweetheart. He really is,” she said, as the pit bull was rounded up to be rehomed as a dangerous dog.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing and is currently with the Ashland County Prosecutor’s Office.