Authorities arrested three people months after 2-year-old Celeste Jackson was killed near her Pulaski County home.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Three people have been arrested on child-endangerment charges following the death of a 2-year-old girl who authorities say was attacked by a loose dog and pulled into a wooded area in Pulaski County.
Earnest Jackson, 54, Christina Hart, 41, and MaKayla Jackson, 21, were each charged with endangering the welfare of a minor, the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office announced Aug. 4. The arrests came more than four months after Celeste Jackson died in the March 28 attack. Authorities have not publicly explained the specific actions that led to the charges, and the relationship between Celeste and those arrested has not been officially released.
Sheriff’s deputies were sent to the 6000 block of Norman Road at about 6:25 p.m. after receiving a report of an animal attack involving a young child. Deputies and members of the Oak Grove Fire Department tried to save Celeste. One deputy placed the girl in a patrol vehicle and drove toward an approaching ambulance, but she was pronounced dead.
Authorities said a dog that lived nearby was not secured by a fence or chain when it attacked Celeste and dragged her into the woods. The sheriff’s office opened an investigation and worked with the Pulaski County Animal Control Division to find the animal believed to have been involved. The dog was later captured and placed in animal control custody.
Investigators said DNA testing was planned to determine whether the captured dog was responsible for the fatal attack. Officials have not publicly released the results of that testing or provided a final account of the circumstances that allowed Celeste and the dog to come into contact.
Celeste’s grandmother, Shawnda Jackson, told KATV after the attack that loose dogs had been an ongoing concern in the Norman Road neighborhood. She said relatives believed the dog belonged to a neighbor and had not been properly restrained. The family called for stronger enforcement of local animal-control and leash requirements.
Family members described Celeste as a happy and fearless child who enjoyed singing, dancing and watching children’s programs. A family fundraiser said she brought joy to those around her and that relatives were struggling to process her death. The campaign was created to help pay memorial expenses.
The criminal charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless convicted in court. Officials had not announced whether the three had entered pleas or retained attorneys as of Aug. 6. The sheriff’s office also had not released further details about the evidence supporting the arrests.
The dog remained in the custody of Pulaski County Animal Control following the investigation. Authorities have not announced whether additional charges are being considered or whether anyone connected to the animal will face a separate citation or criminal case.