Residents of Alston Road outside Apex repeatedly shared concerns about a neighbor's dogs, according to records from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies say 84-year-old Betty Alston, found dead outside her Alston Road home on Tuesday, was the victim of an "apparent" animal attack from three dogs.
Other WRAL Top Stories
Investigators are considering whether the history of calls and Alston's death are connected.
Dennis O'Keith Faulkner, 32, was charged Wednesday with three counts of misdemeanor allowing animals to roam at large and three counts of misdemeanor vaccination violations. Deputies told WRAL News that more charges could be possible.
Alston's family members told WRAL News that neighbors had called animal control about Faulkner's dogs. Records show at least two other incidents from the last six months involved animals he owner, different dogs than the ones suspected in the attack on Alston.
The first incident occurred in December 2025 and involved a report of loose dogs. By the time deputies arrived, the animals were back on Faulkner's property. During that response, he was warned about county ordinances that require that owners keep dogs confined to their property in accordance with Chatham County law.
In February 2026, deputies came to Faulkner's home for a well-being check for the same two dogs from the December call. Faulkner eventually surrendered those animals to the sheriff’s office.
At the time of Alston's death, Faulkner owned three other dogs.
Investigators are also aware of another dog-related call in the broader Alston Road area in 2025. As of Thursday, the sheriff’s office has not connected that incident to Faulkner or to the dogs involved in Alston's death.
