VING RHAMES’ DOGS KILL 40 YR. OLD MAN

A man working as a caretaker at a Brentwood
residence owned by actor Ving Rhames was found dead on the property
today after being mauled by two dogs, authorities said.

The man died
at the scene of the attack, which was reported about 7:15 a.m. in the
12900 block of San Vicente Boulevard, said Los Angeles police Officer
Sandra Gonzalez. His name was withheld pending notification of
relatives.

Los Angeles police Lt. Ray Lombardo told ABC7 that the man, in his 40s, had been a caretaker at the residence about two years.

He “appears to have suffered a number of injuries as a result of the dog mauling,” Lombardo said.

“There
were dogs loose on the property. Those dogs have been captured by
animal regulation (officers),” he said. “We have four dogs
that have been taken into custody for quarantine pending further
investigation …” Police believe two of the four dogs — both
weighing about 200 pounds — were involved in the attack.

“Both
those dogs are mastiffs; they’re rather large,” Lombardo
said. “Normally we understand they are pretty friendly dogs. But,
you know, there are occasions where dogs will turn on their owners or
their caretakers, and this looks like a tragic accident.”

The man had numerous dog bites all over his body, but the exact cause of death was pending a coroner’s ruling.

Authorities
said they could not be sure whether it was the dog mauling that proved
fatal, or if the man suffered some other type of health problem, such
as a heart attack, brought on by the dog attack.

Rhames, who appeared in the “Mission Impossible” films, was not at home when the attack occurred, police said.