Bloomington teen admits role in pitbull attack

A Bloomington teenager has pleaded no contest to charges that he sicced his pit bull on an 8-year-old boy in front of the teenager's home in January.
Paul Hicklin III pleaded no contest to one count of assault with a deadly weapon likely causing great bodily injury, as part of a plea bargain, during proceedings Thursday in Fontana Superior Court, according to court records.
The court advised Hicklin that the plea will constitute a strike, records indicate. In California, defendants convicted of three felonies, or strikes, could face up to life in state prison.
Hicklin is scheduled to return to court Sept. 25 for sentencing.
Deputy District Attorney Adam Pierce could not be reached for comment.
The Jan. 30 attack reportedly caused severe injuries to the victim's face.
Dakoda Mitchell, 8, and his older brother, Dallas, 9, went to Hicklin's Via De Anza home to see if a regular playmate of theirs was home, Fontana Police said in earlier reports.
"The teen apparently did not want them to be there because the dog was deliberately let out," Fontana Sgt. Jeff Decker said earlier.
Dallas used a skateboard or scooter to get the 60-pound pit bull off his brother, police said. Dakoda suffered severe injuries to his face that required a large number of stitches.
"The suspect told the victim that he was going to have the dog attack them if they did not leave his yard," investigators said in a written statement released in February. "As the juvenile was walking away, the suspect verbally commanded the dog to attack the juvenile and let the dog out of the house."
Animal-control officers told police Hicklin tossed the dog into the backyard of a nearby vacant home in an attempt to hide it after the attack. Officers fired a bean bag round and used a Taser on the pit bull to corral it, but the dog charged officers and was shot twice and killed.