California IN BRIEF : SAN JOSE : Owner of Killer Pit Bull Imprisoned

A burly fighting-dog trainer whose pit bull killed a 2-year-old neighbor boy was sentenced Friday to nearly four years in prison. Prosecutors sought to make Michael Berry, 40, the first pet owner in the nation to be convicted of murder for the actions of his dog. But a jury convicted him Dec. 22 of the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter, and found him guilty of owning a mischievous animal resulting in death and of cultivating marijuana. Berry’s 53-pound dog, Willy, was chained in front of a marijuana patch in suburban Morgan Hill when it attacked and killed James Soto on June 13, 1987. “It has been a living nightmare for me for 2 1/2 years,” Berry said before his sentencing. “I do not plan on having any kind of dog ever again.” Berry was sentenced to three years in prison on the involuntary manslaughter charge and to concurrent two-year terms on the other charges, in addition to being fined $500. The dog was expected to be put to death following Berry’s sentencing.