A dog killed a Florence woman. Its owners could face fines and prison time after their arrests. (2024)

FLORENCE— The owners of the dog that attacked and killed a 71-year old woman have been arrested and charged with owning a dangerous animal, the Florence Police Department announced.

Florence residents Justin Conroy and Ashley Maclean were both taken into custody and transported to the Florence County Detention Center.

They were charged with owning a dangerous animal that made an unprovoked attack causing bodily harm. The crime, a misdemeanor, is punishable by a maximum fine of $5,000 or a prison sentence of three years.

This would be Maclean and Conroy's first offense.

Neighbors reported on social media that the dog had caused problems before, but Florence Police Department Capt. Stephen Starling said the department had not previously received any calls related to the dog.

That changed July 10 when the dog attacked Karen Nelson, a Florence resident who was bicycling in her neighborhood that evening, police say. Nelson was later pronounced dead.

According to documents provided by the Florence Police Department, Maclean was walking the dog while her child rode his bicycle in the area of Brigadoone Lane, a neighborhood in south Florence. Police say the dog was a pit bull.

As Nelson bicycled nearby, the dog was able to get away from Maclean, breaking its leash and collar device. It attacked Nelson, knocking her from the bike and biting her neck, according to the police report.

Maclean was unable to get the dog away from Nelson before her fiance arrived, the police report says. Her fiance was able to pull the dog away, and Maclean rendered first aid until emergency responders arrived. Nelson was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The dog was euthanized July 13, according to police. Conroy and Maclean voluntarily surrendered the animal.

In its warrant, police say Conroy and Maclean knew or should have known the dog had a propensity, tendency or disposition to attack unprovoked, cause injury or otherwise endanger the safety of human beings or domestic animals.

Dozens of friends and family mourned Nelson on social media. She taught music at All Saints Episcopal Day School, and some colleagues and former students were among the mourners.

The attack is the latest in a series of incidents with dangerous animals that have raised concerns among neighbors and elected officials. That has led both the Florence City Council and Florence County Council to toughen their animal ordinances in the past year.

In January, a pack of eight dogs allegedly attacked a 14-month old child. She spent nearly five days in a coma as a result of her injuries.

More than a year ago, several dogs attacked a woman walking her dogs. One of the woman’s dogs died as a result of the attack.

The city passed a more severe version of its dangerous animal ordinance in August 2023. City Council members said the ordinance was in response to concerns that aggressive dogs are roaming unchecked in city neighborhoods.

The ordinance lowered the threshold for an animal to be considered dangerous and increased penalties for violating the city’s rules.

County Council also reworked its ordinance in April, creating different categories of dangerous animals and increasing the fines and the levels of liability insurance for certain categories of dangerous animal.

The law cited by the Florence Police Department in charging documents is a state statute.