Chris Brown sentenced after dog attack disfigures employee

After a trial that lasted two weeks in Los Angeles, the jury decided in favor of Maria Avila, who was attacked by a Caucasian shepherd dog, weighing approximately 90 kilos, belonging to the artist. The attack happened while she was taking out the trash from Brown's home in Tarzana, California.

With the decision, Chris Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, were ordered to pay damages of US$12.9 million to the employee for negligence, Billboard magazine reported.

According to Maria Avila, the dog, named Hades, ripped off "large chunks of her skin", causing permanent facial disfigurement, scars, partial loss of vision and nerve damage.

For his part, Brown claimed that the animal was kept on the property for security purposes only and that it was not his pet.

Avila also stated that, after the attack, the singer left the scene instead of calling emergency services. According to her, it was other employees at the residence who called for help.

In his statement, Chris Brown said he was taking a shower when he heard the dog growl. When he went downstairs, he found Maria Avila lying on the floor, motionless and covered in "a lot of blood."

"The blood made me panic," said the singer, adding that he was "in shock." Brown acknowledged that he was partly responsible for what happened, but argued that the employee also contributed to the incident.

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