Morgan Hill
’s pitbull tragedy I’m concerned about the stories about
pitbulls and the frightening things that are happening even right
here but I don’t think anything was mentioned about the child who
was killed by a pitbull right here in Morgan Hill.
Morgan Hill’s pitbull tragedy
I’m concerned about the stories about pitbulls and the frightening things that are happening even right here but I don’t think anything was mentioned about the child who was killed by a pitbull right here in Morgan Hill. It wasn’t too long ago, perhaps 12-15 years. I think people should know about it, add to the information they have about the harm that pitbulls are doing. As I recall, it was a child who was only 2 years old, just a toddler who somehow got into a fenced yard where there was a pitbull and the child was killed. It was great big news at the time, but only old timers like me remember anything about it.
After sorting through many files and a trip to the library, the Red Phone has gathered the details of the tragedy that struck Morgan Hill in 1987.
On June 13 of that year, 2-year-old James Soto wondered out of his mother’s sight at his home on Wright Avenue and went through a fence into the front yard of neighbor Michael Berry. Soto was attacked by Berry’s pitbull that weighed nearly twice as much as he did. It took the boy’s father Arthur Soto and Berry to pull the dog off of him. The child died the next morning in a San Jose hospital. Berry was subsequently arrested and charged with second degree murder, the first time such charges had ever been brought against the owner in a dog mauling case in the United States. The dog, which allegedly was used in dog fights, was apparently guarding marijuana plants, according to records. Berry was convicted Dec. 22, 1989 of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to three years, eight months in state prison and $500 in fines. The family won a judgment of $3.5 million after filing a $20 million lawsuit against Berry.
Green Arrow
I’m wondering if they are going to put a green arrow light on Cochrane and 101 if you’re going westbound on Cochrane getting onto 101 north. When there is a red light, some people stop and wait for light to turn green, some people stop and go and some people just go right through it. The problem is that if you stop, the people behind you get mad. I’m just not sure what to do. I have called the city to find out what they are going to do. I’ve called a couple of times and they’ve never changed it.
Before U.S. Highway 101 was widened a few years ago, that intersection was a problem for city and state officials because of all the cars wishing to bypass the backup created by the bottleneck. The solution was to section off the right-hand turn lane with delineators, the plastic poles, so drivers could drive straight on to the freeway. The delineators have since been taken out by drivers and there is no clear sign of what to do.
Director of Public Works Jim Ashcraft and Senior Engineer Scott Creer said they will have to meet with Caltrans to revisit the issue because it has become a problem again.
Caltrans did not return the Red Phone’s calls by press time, but the Crimson Crusader isn’t giving up. Check back next week and we should have an answer by then.
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