Angelina Williams, 28, has been sentenced to 19 years in prison after she allowed a pit bull to savage her six-year-old son as she watched and did nothing to help him
An Ohio mother has been sentenced to at least 19 years in prison after her six-year-old son was brutally attacked by a pit bull while restrained and unable to defend himself.
Angelina Williams, 28, was handed the sentence earlier this month by Ashland County Common Pleas Court Judge Dave Stimpert, who condemned her actions, stating she had allowed her son to be used as a “chew toy” by the dog.
According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE , the horrific incident occurred when Williams punished her son for refusing to pick up dog waste barehanded.
She handcuffed his wrists and ankles and was attempting to tie him to a chair with rope when he fell to the floor. At that point, a pit bull belonging to the homeowner, Robert Michalski Jr., launched a violent attack, clamping onto the boy’s throat and refusing to release him.
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The child suffered severe injuries, including deep lacerations to his neck. Photos presented in court showed heavy bruising on his face and neck, with the judge commenting on the devastating extent of the injuries. “That dog tried to rip out his throat,” Judge Stimpert said during sentencing. “I’m not sure that there are words that adequately describe it.”
Michalski reportedly fled the scene with the dog after the attack in an attempt to prevent authorities from seizing the animal.
Williams pleaded guilty in May to kidnapping, obstruction of justice, possessing criminal tools, and four counts of child endangerment – just days before her trial was set to begin. She had been held without bail since her August 2024 arrest and was credited for 361 days already served.
Prosecutors revealed that Williams had taken her two children — the six-year-old boy and an eight-year-old daughter — to visit Savannah, a small village in Ohio. During the trip, she began using restraints as a form of discipline, including handcuffing and tying the children with ropes. At one point, she even posted a photo online of her daughter in restraints.
During a court appearance, Williams acknowledged many of the facts of the case but claimed ignorance of wrongdoing, telling the judge: “I didn’t know that the cuffs were illegal… My uncle told me it was OK, and I never meant any harm.”
Despite the trauma, authorities confirmed the boy made a full recovery. Both he and his sister are now in the care of a legal guardian and are receiving proper support and protection.
Two men connected to the case — Michalski Jr. and Taylor Marvin-Brown, who prosecutors say was Williams’ romantic partner — have also been convicted and are awaiting sentencing later this month.
Williams will serve her sentence at the Ohio Reformatory for Women.