COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Marion man pleaded guilty in connection with a dog attack last year that left an infant dead, according to the county's prosecuting attorney.

Blake Bates pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter after his pit bull mauled and killed an infant on April 28, 2024, county prosecutor Raymond Grogan’s office said in a release.

Grogan’s office said the attack happened at Bates’ home on Miami Street when Bates left his pit bull near the unsupervised infant. Bates and co-defendant Alyssa Smith reportedly left the infant with another young child.

The dog reportedly attacked the infant’s head. The child was taken to Marion General Hospital where they were pronounced dead, the prosecutor’s office said.

Authorities immediately seized and euthanized the dog. There

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