Blake Bates faces three years in jail after he and his girlfriend left his six-month-old son at home with the family pit bull mix, Kilo
12:33, 08 Oct 2025
Royal Bates was mauled to death in a horror attack(Image: YouTube)
A baby boy was viciously mauled to death after his dad “ignored warnings” about the family’s pit bull mix pet.
Blake Bates, from Ohio, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter on October 2 – a year after his baby, Royal Bates, was killed by dog, Kilo. Marion County Prosecutor Ray Grogan said Kilo had a history of aggressive behaviour.
Bates and his girlfriend Alyssa Smith had left the six-month-old and another child alone with the pit bull but, while they were out, the animal pounced on Royal and bit into his skull.
The couple could be seen on body cam in a state of panic, with Bates heard crying, as paramedics tried to save the little one. He was rushed to hospital, but couldn’t be saved and was pronounced dead.
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Blake Bates ‘ignored warning’s about his dog, Kilo(Image: YouTube)
Officers put the vicious dog down to prevent further violence. Prosecutor Grogan said: “The evidence showed Bates ignored warnings about the dog’s aggression after it previously attacked a neighbourhood child.
“Months later, the vicious pit bull was left near the unsupervised infant, leading to the fatal attack that gripped the community and highlighted the dangers of negligent pet ownership.”
Grogan has accused Bates of failing to protect his baby and to take enough precautions to protect him. He knew Kilo had lashed out at a child in the past.
“This guilty plea holds Bates accountable for a preventable horror that stole an innocent baby’s life,” Grogan said. “Bates knew his pit bull was dangerous, yet he gambled with this baby’s safety – recklessness that demands severe consequences.”
Smith is awaiting sentencing for child endangerment over what has been described as a preventable death.
Bates’ girlfriend Alyssa Smith, who was sentenced over child endangerment(Image: YouTube)
Bates is facing a three-year sentence for the involuntary manslaughter charge on top of sentencing for other crimes, including the strangulation of a woman and an escape attempt.
“Everyone is responsible for the dogs they own, and – for aggressive dogs – those owners must take extra precautions, especially around kids,” Grogan asserted.
It comes after an XL Bully mauled a man’s face, leaving him with serious injuries in Nottinghamshire.
Bates could be sentenced to three years in prison(Image: YouTube)
Police were called to the house in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, at about 5.45pm on August 14 after the dog attacked its owner Beverley Anderson and her friend. The man was found lying in the kitchen with serious injuries to his face and hands while Anderson had suffered “superficial” injuries to her arms.
Officers located the dog in the garden and sedated the animal before transporting it to secure kennels. Nottinghamshire Police said the man needed hospital treatment for deep bite wounds to both arms, a torn eyelid and other facial injuries.
