Illinois Man Charged After Girl On Bike Attacked By Pit Bull

A nine-year-old girl was riding her bike in Benton, Illinois, this week when she was attacked by a loose pit bull. The girl did not provoke the aggressive dog before the attack, which ended in 25 stitches over four puncture wounds at a local hospital.

In the wake of the dog attack, which took place in a Franklin County trailer park, the owner of the 8-month-old dog was charged with three different counts of child endangerment. One of the counts involved the girl on her bicycle, while the other two were in regards to children living in the man’s home. The man, 29-year-old Brian Copperthite, resides in West City, Illinois, and has not commented on the dog attack or the related charges.

The dog was put to sleep after the attack and Franklin County animal control is awaiting rabies test lab results.