Boy's father, girlfriend arrested in dog mauling death

Javon Dade Jr. mauled to death at father's home in Goulds

MIAMI – The father of a boy who was mauled to death by a dog in southwest Miami-Dade County has been arrested.

Miami-Dade police said Javon Dade and his girlfriend, Alessandra Carrasco, were arrested Friday on charges of child neglect causing great bodily harm.

Javon Dade Jr., 4, was mauled to death at his father's property in Goulds after his family reported him missing Aug. 13.

Police said Dade and Carrasco were sleeping off a hangover when Javon got outside through an unlocked back door. Police said the couple had spent the previous night smoking marijuana cigarettes laced with cocaine.

Six dogs -- three adults and three puppies -- were removed from the property. An adult male pit bull was later euthanized because of the dog's temperament.

Dade was fined $1,040 by Miami-Dade County Animal Services for violating the county's dog ordinance.

According to a 2011 Department of Children and Families report, investigators had warned of the "smell and danger" of six "untrained dogs" living in the home.

Investigators said in 2010 two of the dogs got into a fight, and two people inside the home were bitten by the dogs while trying to break it up.

Dade has many previous arrests in Miami-Dade County that date back to 2002. Charges up until 2013 included battery, disorderly conduct, cocaine possession and marijuana possession.

Carrasco had no previous criminal history in Miami-Dade or Broward counties.

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