Two dogs with a reported history of attacks violently attacked a 73-year-old man outside his home, resulting in his death, according to investigators.
New Mexico State Police said its Investigations Bureau took over the fatal dog attack case. The Santa Rosa police and the state police first responded Friday to a home near Tapia Road.
Agents identified as Randy Wade were outside his home when two dogs attacked him near a shed. The dogs belonged to 52-year-old James Campbell.Â
Authorities said Campbell and a woman were staying at Wade’s home. The woman witnessed the attack from outside and called Campbell for help.
Campbell, who was inside the home, went outside and secured the dogs in an enclosure. He then moved Wade to the front porch, where he found him dead. The woman called 911.
During an interview with investigators, Campbell acknowledged that he knew authorities had previously deemed his dogs vicious. Investigators also learned that both dogs were pit bull mixes and had reportedly been involved in an earlier attack. The dogs had recently left an animal shelter.
Police charged Campbell with a third-degree felony for a dangerous dog attack that resulted in a person’s death.
NMSP continues to investigate the case.
The source said this is not the first fatal dog attack reported in New Mexico in recent years. In Tucumcari, less than an hour away, two people pleaded guilty in 2024 to charges stemming from a 2023 dog attack. A court sentenced them to roughly six years in prison.
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