Four-year-old Jacob Charles Brooks was terrified of his family's dogs, court documents state.

The parents used the young boy's fear as punishment, according to recently obtained criminal complaints filed by El Paso police detectives.

Family members told investigators that the boy's parents would discipline the child by threatening to leave him alone with the dogs if he misbehaved, documents state.

Jacob was mauled to death by the dogs July 27 when he was left alone on a trampoline in the backyard of the family's Lower Valley home, police said.

Last week, detectives arrested the boy's parents, Brittany Marie Brooks, 27, and Ashley Brooks, 29, on felony charges of injury to a child by omission.

El Paso County Jail records show that both women have been released from jail on $7,500 bond each.

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Four dogs were taken away and euthanized by Animal Services, according to criminal complaints filed by detectives. The breeds of the dogs were not mentioned.

Documents describe a horrific attack, with the boy bitten multiple times and blood evidence indicating the child tried to run but was dragged in the dirt backyard.

The boy was found dead with the dogs in the process of eating the child, according to the results of the dogs' stomach-content analyses, documents state.

Neighbors told police that the Brooks family had lived for about a year in the brick home in 9100 block of Morelia Road, a dead-end street near North Loop Drive and Zaragoza Road, documents state.

Neighbors also told investigators that the dogs were abused, neglected and lacked basic care, the complaints state. One neighbor took it upon herself to periodically feed the animals.

Police said that the dogs were of different breeds and sizes. Neighbors said that the family had several dogs, including small ones and a German shepherd and a pit bull.

Ashley and Brittany Brooks told investigators that on the day of the attack they had put Jacob in the trampoline to play while they were inside doing household chores, documents state.

Brittany Brooks told detectives that she was periodically checking on the child playing in the trampoline.

But evidence, including that Jacob's body was found in the rear of the yard away from the trampoline, allegedly indicated that the boy was unattended during "an extended stay within the backyard, with the dogs who ultimately attacked the child," a complaint states.

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Police allege that animal abuse, the boy's fear of the dogs and a lack of supervision were factors in the child's death, leading to charges against the parents.

Jacob was found dead at about 8 p.m. when police and paramedics were called to the home.

A day after the attack, the trampoline, enclosed with its safety netting, could be seen on the otherwise barren backyard.

Daniel Borunda may be reached at 546-6102; dborunda@elpasotimes.com; @BorundaDaniel on Twitter.