The Upper West Side owner of a pair of killer pit bulls involved in four grisly attacks is finally behind bars.<\/p>\n
Joseph Columbus could be in the can until March 11, and have to pay $250 each day for flouting Judge Phaedra Perry-Bond\u2019s June order<\/a> directing him to turn over his dogs, Zooey and Rambo, to city authorities, court records show.<\/p>\n Columbus, 40 \u2014 who had repeatedly skipped court appearances in the case and once even fled the city sheriff in a high speed chase<\/a> \u2014 was taken into custody at a Manhattan Supreme Court hearing Thursday, city Sheriff Anthony Miranda confirmed.<\/p>\n Penny the Chihuahua, whose medical bills hit $12,000 after the attack. Gabriella Bass<\/p>\n \u201cHe kept saying \u2018I\u2019m not going anywhere. Back off,\u2019 \u201d said Lauren Block, the Upper West Sider whose two Shih Tzu mixes, Grover and Chuckie, were attacked by Zooey and Rambo in January.<\/p>\n Block, Devon Allen and Lauren Claus \u2014 whose 16-pound chihuahua, Penny, was also mauled by Rambo and Zooey<\/a> \u2014 sued Columbus in May.<\/p>\n Block will receive any money Columbus pays in fines as restitution for nearly $22,000 in vet bills after Rambo and Zooey\u2019s attack left her blind, 17-year-old Grover dead and seriously injured Chuckie. She said she\u2019ll donate any money she gets to an animal shelter.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not super rich but it will make me feel good to do something in Grover\u2019s honor because he was the sweetest dog I\u2019ve ever met in my entire life,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Columbus was taken into custody after months of allegedly dodging authorities. Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post<\/p>\n \u201cThe whole neighborhood is very happy we finally got some conclusion,\u201d said Karen Kramer, an Upper West Side dog walker who\u2019s been following the case. \u201cBut we\u2019ll be much happier when the dogs are surrendered and out of his possession.\u201d<\/p>\n Columbus denied having Rambo and Zooey, according to the\u00a0West Side Rag<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got no dog to give,\u201d Columbus, who claims that\u00a0Rambo is in the custody of his cousin and that Zooey belongs to his ex-girlfriend, told the court, the outlet reported.<\/p>\n Penny the chihuahua was bitten several times in the May attack. Gabriella Bass<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m being treated worse than a murderer or a pedophile. I want my life to come back to normal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Court\u2019s order and Mr. Columbus\u2019 imprisonment is the culmination of months of hard work,\u201d lawyer Mollie Swears, who represents Block and Claus, said in a statement.<\/p>\n He\u2019s currently facing eviction from his grandmother\u2019s Columbus Avenue apartment \u2014 where court records showed Rambo and Zooey were accused in March of another attack that prompted the victims to flee the building.<\/a><\/p>\n