QUEEN CREEK, AZ (AZFamily) — An East Valley family is awaiting justice in the death of their father after they say a confrontation over a missing dog escalated into a deadly assault. The attacker and pup are still on the loose.
“My dad loved that dog almost like me and my siblings. Like, that dog was always attached to his hip. He’s had him for 14 years,” said Miranda Hahn. That all changed on May 10 when her father, 55-year-old James Hahn, briefly left his dog, Jake, in the care of a man he worked with. According to the family, the dog went missing, and it caused an argument.
55-year-old James Hahn was hit in the back of a head over his missing dog, Jake.(Miranda Hahn)
“My dad was always kind to this man, and this guy just turned on him,” said Miranda. The family says that James tried walking away from the confrontation, and that is when the man hit him in the back of the head with a walking stick.
“It was a straight shot to the back of the head, and it was pretty brutal,” said his son-in-law James Coursen. Family members say James Hahn was flown to the hospital with bleeding in his brain.
“My dad was so hilarious. He loved to cook. He taught me a lot about cooking and taking care of plants,” said Miranda. Her father was on life support and died on June 2.
Now, the family is waiting on justice from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, hoping the man they say killed James Hahn is arrested and charged soon.
“They did finally get back to us and let us know that they do know where this guy is, (and) that they’re not letting anything slide,” said Coursen.
“The investigation is still open and on-going with a suspect outstanding. No further information can be released at this time.”
As for Jake, Miranda and her family are on a mission to bring him home. They do not believe the alleged attacker has the dog. Neighbors told them they had spotted Jake in the neighborhood where the altercation happened near Power and Riggs roads
“Anyone who’s near or far. If you see jake, don’t hesitate to grab him. He’s really nice. I just want him to come back so we at least have a piece of my dad,” said Miranda.
Jake is a chihuahua-dachshund mix and weighs about 10 pounds.
Jake is a chihuahua-dachshund mix.(Miranda Hahn)
The family has a GoFundMe set up for anyone who would like to contribute toward funeral expenses for James Hahn.
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