Elgin police kill pit bull after it attacked dog

Elgin police shot and killed a violent pit bull Monday after it attacked a neighbor’s dog.

The dog, which was found liable for dangerous behavior in another incident just last week, got out of its house at about 6:30 p.m. and went from the 300 block of DuPage Street to the 300 block of Fulton Street, according to police. Another pit bull was in its owner’s backyard and was attacked by the loose dog, police said.

Christian Diaz, 19, of the 300 block of South Weston Avenue, is the owner of the attacking pit bull and was bit by his own dog trying to break up the fight, police said.

Lt. Glenn Theriault said when Diaz couldn’t break the dogs up, he asked police to shoot his animal, which they did, killing the dog for everyone else’s safety.

The second pit bull was injured in the dogfight and taken to an animal hospital for treatment, police said.

Charges are pending against Diaz for his dog’s behavior. Diaz, who has multiple dogs, has already been found liable seven times in the last two months for animal complaints, according to Theriault.

The most recent complaint against the dog that was shot was decided in an Elgin animal control hearing Feb. 14 and involved the same family whose dog was attacked Monday, Theriault said.

Elgin police have shot 16 dogs in the last two years, 15 of which have been pit bulls, according to police department statistics cited by Councilman John Prigge.