NEW BEDFORD — A city man was found dangerous and ordered held without bail Tuesday for using his pitbull as a dangerous weapon in an incident where a 13-year-old girl was bitten multiple times.

Jerry Chery, 28, will now be detained at the Bristol County House of Correction for four months as he awaits trial. His case was continued until May 10 in New Bedford District Court.

The pitbull attack happened about 3:20 p.m. April 5 outside Chery's Linden Street home and stemmed from a disagreement between the victim and the younger of Chery's two stepdaughters.

While the victim was fighting with Chery's older stepdaughter, he came out of the house with the dog on the leash and yelled for the dog to "get her" and "attack" the 13-year-old New Bedford girl, according to court records.

Judge David P. Sorrenti, after watching a video of the pitbull attack in his courtroom, said he saw two teens — the victim and the older stepdaughter — fighting without a weapon. Then "an adult male" enters the fray with a pitbull on a leash, he said.

The video shows Chery used the dog in an effort to bite the victim, the judge said in making his decision after a dangerousness hearing in New Bedford District Court.

The video, which is blurry and runs about 1 1/2 minutes, shows the two girls fighting in the street as people scream and the leashed dog barks loudly. The video also shows the victim lying on the ground and the pitbull biting her. The girl suffered bites to her back, elbow, knee and arm and she was taken to St. Luke's Hospital, according to court documents.

Chery of 28 Linden St., Apartment 2, is charged with assault and battery on a child with injury, assault to maim, assault with a dangerous weapon, disturbing the peace and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, court records indicate.

The suspect has convictions for assaults and was previously deported, only to return to the U.S. when he sought asylum, prosecutor Charles Schofield said.

Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro said animal control has custody of the pitbull and the Police Department is considering alternatives for the animal, including holding a dangerousness hearing for the dog. The hearing would allow police to require restrictions ranging from fencing and muzzling when the dog goes outside to euthanization, he said.

The older stepdaughter, who fought with the victim, testified the victim threatened her on Snapchat on April 4. She reported it to school officials and her mother picked her up at school that day. She said she was in fear of her safety.

Defense attorney Kate Towers said when Chery came out of the apartment it was "an emotional situation" and he was concerned about what was happening to his family. "His desire to protect the family took over," she said.

She suggested placing Chery on a GPS monitoring bracelet, that he report regularly to the Probation Department and that he continue working.

Follow Curt Brown on Twitter @CurtBrown_SCT