Tarentum man charged in connection with Halloween dog attacks

Editor’s note: This story was changed on Wednesday, July 15, to reflect that all charges against Brandon Baynes were dismissed in June.

A Tarentum man is facing criminal charges, accused by police of letting pit bulls out of an apartment on Halloween that attacked and severely injured other residents.

Shawn Flynn, 34, at first was thought to be a dog bite victim who came to the aid of a neighbor being mauled on Oct. 31, but now is accused of setting the events in motion.

Officers were dispatched shortly after 7:30 p.m. that evening to North Ormond Street in the area of Tarentum’s East Sixth and Seventh avenues for three dogs running loose and attacking people.

Several residents at the time said Flynn was bitten as he attempted to get the dogs off resident Michael Shutack, who talked with TribLive about the ordeal shortly after returning from the hospital.

Shutack was sore, battered, bruised and cut from head to toe, with stitches in his face from dog bite wounds.

He was one of three people attacked by two pit bulls, resulting in all requiring hospital treatment.

The third person, Faith Valasek, was taken to Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison with severe wounds to her forearms.

Tarentum police on Tuesday charged Flynn with cruelty to animals, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass and two counts each of aggravated assault in connection with the incident.

According to the criminal complaint, police said security footage shows Flynn running from the porch of 704 North Ormond and helping Shutack fight off the dogs. Flynn suffered dog bite wounds in the melee.

When police interviewed him later, Flynn identified himself to police as the man in the video wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, the complaint reads.

Police then showed Flynn video footage of the same man in black opening the apartment door and letting the dogs out.

Flynn later admitted to letting the dogs out in exchange for money, the complaint alleges.

Flynn told police the landlord had called one of his friends who lived in one of the adjacent apartments and told her he would pay money for someone to let the dogs out, police claim.

The dogs were owned by neighboring tenants Brandon Baynes and Mariah Sanders, who Flynn claimed the landlord was trying to evict, the complaint states.

Flynn told police all his information was provided by the friend and that he never had direct contact with the landlord.

Flynn’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 30.

Baynes, 36, previously faced charges relating to the dog attacks, but all charges were dismissed last month.