Owners of 2 dogs that killed Florida child face additional charge, deputies say

2 Florida women face felony charges after dogs kill boy

Two women are facing felony charges after law enforcement said they deleted social media posts related to dogs that killed a young boy, authorities said.

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - The owners of the two dogs that killed an 8-year-old Florida boy in January are now each facing an additional charge, according to the Volusia Sheriff's Office (VSO).

2 owners face 3rd-degree felony charge

What we know:

VSO said the owners of the two dogs that killed Michael are now each facing an additional charge. Amanda Franco, 31, and Brandy Lee Hodil, 40, are facing a charge of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.

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Officials said Hodil was arrested on Thursday night at her home in DeLand. She posted her $7,500 bond on Friday morning. 

Investigators were continuing their efforts to locate and arrest Franco on Friday morning. Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood said Franco turned herself in at her attorney's office on Friday afternoon and is now in custody. 

Detectives said the new felony charges were the result of a thorough VSO investigation and coordination with the State Attorney’s Office for the 18th Judicial Circuit, which announced the initial charge earlier this week.

During their investigation, deputies said Franco deleted her Facebook account, which contained messages between her and a neighbor about her dogs’ "violent tendencies." Franco later allegedly created a new account in April, while she was still under investigation. 

Hodil, Franco’s roommate and owner of the second dog, allegedly deleted specific messages between her and the neighbor about the dogs being loose the night of the incident. Through the execution of a search warrant, detectives found that Hodil searched for how to deactivate her account and messenger.

Brandy Lee Hodil, 40, was arrested on Thursday night, while Amanda Franco, 31, turned herself in on Friday afternoon. (Credit: Volusia Sheriff's Office)

2nd-degree misdemeanor charge

Dig deeper:

Earlier this week, State Attorney William Scheiner shared that a second-degree misdemeanor charge had formally been filed against Franco.

The SA said the charge involved the "Pam Rock Act," also known as the "Dangerous Dog Act," which involves owning or having a dog that was not previously declared dangerous and causes great bodily harm or death. Scheiner said the "Dangerous Dog Act" charge was the only one that could be filed in the case under current state laws at the time. He said he could not use newly passed laws to prosecute people for events in the past.

"The law, as it currently stands, does not support a different charge," he said. "Unfortunately, my hands are tied in this scenario."

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Both Scheiner and Chitwood said they believed the charge was not enough.

Michael's death will not be for nothing," Scheiner said. "From this point forward, we need to advocate for change."

Michael Millett

What happened to Michael Millett?

The backstory:

Michael died on Jan. 13 after he was brutally mauled by two dogs in a Volusia County neighborhood.

He was riding bikes with his friends in the neighborhood when they stopped to pet the loose dogs. It was then that he was attacked and killed. Authorities said Michael's mother jumped on top of him to shield him from the attack. Michael sustained 12 bite wounds and suffered a broken neck and leg. 

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The dogs involved in the incident have since been euthanized.