An eight-year-old boy died Monday, January 13, 2025, after two dogs attacked him while riding his bike in Berry’s Ridge subdivision near DeLand, Florida, a community situated halfway between Orlando and Daytona Beach on Florida’s east coast.
Michael Millett was riding with a friend when they stopped near the mailboxes at the front entrance of the community at approximately 4:55 p.m. The location, near the intersection of Arabesque Drive and Airport Road, would become the scene of what Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood later described as a disturbing case, a “tragedy beyond comprehension.”
The dogs, identified by Volusia County Animal Services (VCAS) as a Pit Bull Terrier and possibly a Catahoula breed, were roaming loose when they approached the children. When the boys stopped to pet the dogs, they were at first friendly, but their behavior changed quickly. “And then they became very, very, very vicious and very violent,” Chitwood said during a Tuesday news conference.
A 911 caller reported during the attack, “They’re literally tugging on him,” according to the sheriff’s office. During Tuesday’s briefing, Sheriff Chitwood recalled hearing the 911 recording that captured Michael’s mother’s attempts to save her son. She had thrown herself over him to stop the attack while screaming for help and saying he wasn’t breathing. Chitwood said the mother’s desperate pleas in the recording were among the most disturbing he’d heard in his law enforcement career.
Medical examiners documented 12 distinct bite wounds on Michael’s body, along with a broken neck and leg, according to Sheriff Chitwood. Nearby residents administered CPR and called 911, but they were unable to save him.
The dogs’ owner, Amanda Franco, 31, has not responded to authorities’ attempts to contact her. Court records reveal Franco’s extensive criminal history, including drug offenses, aggravated battery, and probation violations. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office confirmed they are working with the state attorney’s office to pursue potential negligent homicide charges.
Both dogs are now held under a mandatory 10-day quarantine at VCAS, as Florida state law requires. A forensic specialist is conducting DNA analysis of the dogs’ teeth marks to build evidence for the case. VCAS Director Angela Miedema said the agency is waiting for Franco to respond and sign the dogs over for “humane euthanasia.” Franco was not on the property at the time of the attack.
Sheriff Chitwood emphasized that his office would make every effort to hold the owner of the dogs responsible, and to do “everything possible to make sure that these dogs are destroyed.”
During door-to-door investigations, deputies discovered residents had multiple previous encounters with the dogs. Sheriff Chitwood reported that neighbors described the dogs frequently running loose in the area and killing chickens. The investigation also revealed evidence of a previous incident involving the dogs in another county. Despite the neighbors’ concerns, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that no official complaints about the dogs had been filed with Animal Services before the attack.
The family has established a GoFundMe campaign to help with funeral costs and expenses. The fundraising effort has raised over $78,000.
The sheriff’s office asks community members who had previous encounters with the dogs to provide information.