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Owner of pit bulls that allegedly attacked 60-year-old Wyoming man faces 15 ...

GRAND RAPIDS – The owner of a pair of late pit bulls who escaped their garage holding area and attacked a 60-year-old man faces up to 15 years in prison as his case heads to trial next month.

Joseph Honorable , 29, is charged with owning a dangerous animal, normally a felony with a four-year maximum sentence, but because Honorable has a slew of prior convictions -- some dating back to 1998, he is charged as four-time repeat offender which bumps the maximum sentence to 15 years, according to court records.

This spring, 60-year-old William Ward told a Wyoming District Court judge that on April 5, he was bringing his waste container to the curb in front of his home on 31st Street SW near Byron Center Avenue when the male and female pit bulls came running toward him.

Ward said the dogs acted as a team to attack him as he struggled to keep the container between him and the animals, one of the dogs circled around and came after him. Ward said one of the dogs leaped toward his face and he raised his arm to protect his head and neck and the dog latched on to the limb bringing the man to the ground and breaking the arm.

Ward said he got up and tried to further protect himself when one of the dogs came at him again and he fell breaking the other arm.

Ward's sister was able to fend off the dogs using an umbrella.

Ward now has metal plates and screws holding his arms together and he still has

So far, Honorable has not been able to reach a plea agreement with the state, but Assistant Kent County Prosecutor Gregory Boer said the two sides continue to talk.

Honorable is slated to be tried before Kent County Circuit Court Judge Mark Trusock on Sept. 19. He remains free on a $10,000 person recognizance bond.

E-mail Barton Deiters: bdeiters@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/GRPBarton

Yeah, jail seems excessive. I mean he's only a four time offender now. I think 8 is a good number to start putting people in jail for being a menace to society. Yeah 8. I mean that's how many strikes you get in baseball right??? A lot of the time there people just are in the wrong place at the wrong time as well. There is so much that needs to be considered.