By Rorisang Modiba
- Maria Avila was taking out rubbish at Chris Brown’s California home in December 2020 when his guard dog attacked her.
- Brown testified he left the property and did not personally call an ambulance because he was afraid of media attention.
Chris Brown left his housekeeper bleeding on his driveway and did not call 911 himself, a Los Angeles jury heard.
The jury found Brown legally responsible for negligence after his dog, Hades, a 90kg Caucasian Shepherd kept for security, mauled his former housekeeper, Maria Avila, at his Tarzana, California home in December 2020. Avila was taking out the rubbish when the dog attacked her.
She suffered severe injuries to her face and left arm. Surgeons grafted skin from her abdomen to repair the damage. She told the court she has permanent scars, reduced strength in her arm and post traumatic stress, and has not been able to return to work as a housekeeper since.
Brown testified he heard the dog growling, ran downstairs and found Avila motionless on the ground, covered in blood. He said he locked the dog in a kennel, checked she was breathing and called his security guard for help. He did not dial 911 himself. He said he was afraid a recording would be leaked to the media.
Brown said his manager told him to leave once an ambulance was on its way. He drove around for hours and stopped at a petrol station before he was told it was safe to return home. Avila’s lawyers argued in court that he fled the scene. Brown denied this.
Avila’s daughter, Yoseline Espinoza, testified about the panicked call she got from her aunt during the attack.
“The ambulance is still not here. Chris Brown fled the scene,” she said.
The jury awarded Avila US$12.9-million. Her sister, Patricia Avila, who was also at the property that day, was awarded US$885,000 for emotional distress. Avila’s husband, Oscar Olivo, was awarded US$50,000. Avila had originally sued for about US$90-million, around R1.4-billion.
Pictured above: Chris Brown.
Image source: Instagram
