Three 100-pound dogs attacked and killed a 53-year-old man in Oakland Sunday, and the owner has been charged with a felony, as the dogs apparently had a history of attacks.

We’re now learning that a 53-year-old Oakland man was mauled to death by three large dogs at around 12:20 pm Sunday, according to the Bay Area News Group. The victim was Robert Holguin, who was living in a car on the dog owner’s property on the 1600 block of 36th Avenue near Fruitvale, and the two men were apparently friends. But the owner left, the dogs escaped from a backyard fence, and attacked Holguin. Paramedics arrived, but Holguin was declared dead on the scene.

Now KTVU is reporting the dogs’ owner, 57-year-old Brendan Burke, has been charged with a felony count of failing to control animals killing a person. Sources also told KTVU that there were six dogs overall on the property, and they have a history of violent behavior toward people.  The Bay Area News Group also adds that the dogs did not stop attacking until a bystander started striking them with a pipe.

The dogs were all mixes of Cane Corso and Neapolitan Mastiff breeds, all 100 pounds or heavier, and the News Group notes they have some violent history. One of the dogs had attacked another smaller dog in the neighborhood in October 2023, but the owner of the smaller dog declined to press charges. Court documents on this case noted the dogs had a history of “discipline issues.”

“This is so rare — it’s really, really scary, but it’s so rare,” Oakland Animal Services director Emily Wood told the News Group. Wood added that her staff could not recall any similar dog attacks in decades.

The three dogs have now been euthanized, per the News Group, and three other dogs who’d lived on the property have been taken into the care of the Oakland Animal Services division.  But the News Group and KTVU both observed people visiting the house in question with similar very large dogs on Thursday.

Related: Woman Convicted In Notorious SF Dog-Mauling Murder Case Gets Denied Parole [SFist]

Image: Sophie Hollies via Unsplash