Dog mauling verdict: Guilty

Ex-policeman responsible for 6-year-old boy's death

July 01, 2003

A retired Red Bluff police officer was convicted of involuntary manslaughter Monday in last year's dog-mauling death of 6-year-old Genoe Novach.

Charles Dean Schneider, 53, was also found guilty of a lesser felony count of owning a mischievous dog that caused death. He is scheduled to be sentenced July 28 by Tehama County Superior Court Judge Dennis Murray.

Genoe was mauled to death on Feb. 7, 2002, after he was attacked by Schneider's dogs as he played in the back yard of a neighbor's Palermo Avenue home.

Schneider faces a maximum sentence of four years and eight months in jail.

Genoe's 39-year-old father, Anthony, said he was emotionally drained after the jury announced its verdict following a total of nine hours in deliberations on Friday and Monday.

"I didn't think it would take that long, but that's fine," he said, fighting tears and later hugging weeping family members outside the courtroom.

But family friend, Jean Carbaugh, who sat through the trial, which started a week ago today, said there was little reason to rejoice over the jury's verdict.

"Nobody won," she said. "Genoe's gone."

Schneider, who slumped forward in his chair after the verdict was read, did not take questions from reporters as he walked out of the Red Bluff courthouse.

His lawyer, Thomas Hilligan of Red Bluff, said he would appeal the jury's decision.

Let him, said Sherry Pugh of Red Bluff, who embraced her sister, Laura Novach, Genoe's mother, moments after the jury announced its verdict.

"He's blowing hot air," she said, and praised the jury for convicting Schneider.

"God is an awesome God," she said. "My prayers were answered."

The jury deliberated four hours on Friday and another five hours Monday, fueling speculation that it might not be able to reach a verdict.

But juror Betty Cottrell of Los Molinos said the lengthy deliberations were generally the result of grasping the legal terminology and not so much on the jury being unable to agree on Schneider's guilt.

Schneider's claims that he was unaware that his two, 2-year-old dogs, Rottweiler-pug mixes, were dangerous didn't ring true to her and other jury members, said Cottrell, who owns two dogs.

"You got to know" whether your animals are dangerous, she said. "Those animals (Rottweilers) are different than your cocker spaniels and your beagles."

But, she said, one juror did have doubts, noting that he owned a dog that once killed a cat and was surprised that it did so.

"I thought it was going to be 11 to 1 guilty," she said. "That panel did an excellent job of discussing everything and expressing their opinions."

Genoe's uncle, 40-year-old Darryl Evans of Red Bluff, said the lengthy deliberations were a mixed blessing

"It took way too long," he said. "I'm glad it's over."

"Nobody wants to see their son go to prison or jail," said Rutha Williams, Genoe's great aunt. "But justice has been done."

The case was prosecuted by Tehama County District Attorney Gregg Cohen, who said that Schneider was well aware of the violent nature of his dogs, but did nothing to guarantee that they could not get out his back yard.

The dogs are believed to have escaped from holes in a chain-link fence that separates Schneider's home from his next-door neighbor.

Schneider has said he did the best he could to cover up the holes, but could not afford to repair his fence to ensure the dogs could not escape.