MUNCIE, Ind. — A Muncie woman is accused of letting loose an aggressive dog that attacked two people outside her rural home last week.
Braquelle Lynn Rutherford, 22, was arrested on Friday by the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department on charges of criminal recklessness and battery. She’s being held in jail on a $15,000 bond.
According to court documents, one of the two victims accused Rutherford of purposely siccing an aggressive dog on the pair due to Rutherford being upset with them for trying to talk her into going to rehab for a drug problem on May 25.
The victim told police that Rutherford told the duo to leave or her dog “was going to maul them.” The victim told police she and the second victim, Rutherford’s mother, were outside when Rutherford opened the door while holding the aggressive dog by the collar.
The victim claimed Rutherford let go of the collar and that the dog then attacked both women.
According to deputies, one of the victims was covered in blood and bleeding heavily from the head as a result of the dog attack. The woman also had blood on her thigh and hand from the dog bites.
Rutherford told police she didn’t let the dog loose on purpose but did warn the two women to leave because she was letting out her dog and it was aggressive.
According to court documents, Rutherford told police she let the aggressive dog out of the cage “to prevent them from coming back into her home” but said the dog “busted out the door and attacked them.”
Rutherford claimed she did not let the dog out with intentions to harm anyone, however.
A witness told police the two women were outside on Rutherford’s lawn when “all of the sudden” Rutherford and the dog burst from the front door. Rutherford reportedly shouted at the two to get to the car, but the dog rushed forward and attacked the women.
The witness said Rutherford tried to get the dog off of the victims and was bitten as well by the animal.
Rutherford told police she had adopted the dog from an Indianapolis rescue and had been trying to train it, but knew the animal was aggressive.
