Region in brief: Loose dog mauls 3-year-old in CdA

A 3-year-old girl remained hospitalized Monday after being mauled by a dog Sunday in Coeur d’Alene.

The girl ran to greet her mother as she exited her car in the driveway on North 17th Street, carrying an infant, when she was attacked by one of two loose dogs about 6:15 p.m., according to the Coeur d’Alene Police Department.

The girl’s father broke his finger trying to pull the dog, a 3-year-old Belgian shepherd, from the girl. A friend was helping him.

“They literally were prying the jaws of the dog off that little girl’s neck,” said Sgt. Christie Wood.

The dog’s owners told police they’d never had a problem with the dog, which was seized by authorities. They could get it back if they install fencing and other security measures, but “I don’t think they’ll be trying to,” Wood said.

The city prosecutor’s office will decide whether to charge the owners with letting the dogs run loose, Wood said.

Meghann M. Cuniff

Spokane to pay damages in collision

The Spokane City Council on Monday agreed to pay a family $162,500 for damages resulting from a collision involving a police car in 2005.

Dragan and Edina Perkovic filed a lawsuit sued last year, claiming that they and two daughters, Dragana and Jasmina Perkovic, were injured when their car was struck by a police car driven by Cpl. Phil Lasswell.

The suit said Edina Perkovic was driving west on Boone Avenue on March 11, 2005, when Lasswell, who was southbound, ran a red light at Monroe Street and struck the Perkovics’ car. City attorneys agreed that Lasswell was at fault for the collision and that he was not responding to any emergencies.

Larry Kuznetz, who represented the Perkovic family, said that as a result of the crash the family suffered lost wages, Dragan Perkovic has had back problems and Edina Perkovic has ongoing complications from a neck injury.

Jonathan Brunt

Mental patient filed for bankruptcy

Phillip Paul, the Eastern State Hospital patient who escaped this month while on an outing to the Spokane County Interstate Fair, filed for bankruptcy over the summer after racking up more than $85,000 in credit card debt.

Paul sought Chapter 7 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Washington from banks and credit card companies. Paul has no personal assets and an income of less than $1,000 a month in Social Security benefits. Creditors include AT&T Universal Card, Bank of America, Chase Card Services, CitiBank, Discover Financial, Orchard Bank, Sterling Savings Bank and US Bank, according to court records.

Paul was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a 1987 killing.

He was recaptured after his escape and returned to the hospital in Medical Lake.

Staff reports