Caretaker 'killed by Ving Rhames' dogs'

Two dogs belonging to US actor Ving Rhames apparently mauled a man to death at the star’s home, authorities said.

The 40-year-old victim, who has not been identified, had lived on the property and worked as a caretaker at the Los Angeles house for about two years, police said.

He was among those responsible for caring for the dogs, said LA police officer Sandra Gonzalez. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Three bull mastiffs and an English bulldog were seized by animal services, police said.

“Two of those dogs appeared to be responsible for the tragic death,” said Officer Jason Lee, adding that “several” dogs remain at the property.

Police were called at about 7.15am local time yesterday by someone reporting a dead body at the home in Brentwood.

Gonzalez did not know who made the call.

“The victim had a large number of bites and scratches which appear to be dog bites,” Lieutenant Ray Lombardo said during a press conference.

The victim was found on the front lawn, Gonzalez said.

A post mortem examination was expected to be performed on Monday, said Captain Ed Winter of the coroner’s office.

“It’s premature to say how he died,” Winter said. “We don’t know if he was attacked by the dogs and suffered a heart attack.”

Rhames, 46, an action star who appeared in the Mission Impossible series, was not home at the time of the attack, Gonzalez said.

The actor told Time magazine in 2001 that he had “eight Fila Brasileiro mastiffs – the national dog of Brazil, also used by US Marines in jungle warfare”.

Calls to Rhames’ agent, Steve Muller, were not returned.