COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — A judge kept bond for Adam and Susan Withers at $500,000 after a grand jury indicted them following a fatal dog attack.

The mother and son appeared for arraignment after a grand jury indicted them involuntary manslaughter last week.

Ashville Police Officer Bryan Cline testified in court last Thursday that Pickaway County authorities knew Adam Withers and his two dogs well.

“I’ve been to this apartment several times and I’ve dealt with these dogs several times,” Officer Cline said.

Last year, one of Withers’ dogs attacked a woman walking her 12-week-old puppy, killing the puppy and leaving the woman with broken bones.

In October, Withers’ dogs escaped again, leading to a tragic incident in which one attacked his 73-year-old neighbor, Jo Ann Echelbarger, while she was gardening.

Echelbarger later died at the hospital. The second dog attacked another woman who was walking her two dogs, killing one of the dogs.

Police shot and killed both dogs, one of which was at Withers’ home when it tried to attack the officers. The next morning, Cline said in court, it was reported that someone had buried one of the dogs in a shallow grave near the victim’s residence, which is also near the home of the homeowner’s association president.

The HOA previously filed a lawsuit against Withers due to numerous complaints and fines.

A judge ordered the dogs removed on September 11. Two weeks later, court documents said police found Withers lying in the roadway, appearing intoxicated, with the dogs on the loose. Withers would have admitted that cocaine use, and the police noticed that a dog could not use the back legs.

Withers was charged with disorderly conduct, but the court complaint did not say whether the dogs were removed or if the dog warden was notified.

Adam Withers has faced misdemeanor dangerous dog charges at least three times in the past, but those cases were dismissed due to insufficient evidence or improper charges. I’ve reached out to the Ashville Police Department for more information.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 20.