If tiger had lawyers...

I have been following the San Francisco tiger story lately, and I came upon this story on the internet. This story had me amazed. How did it get past the editors? It was a story with the most sensationalism I’ve ever read in the news. At first I thought maybe this is a joke. Yet it does in fact come from a reputable news source. The New York Daily News. Read if for yourself.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The two brothers who survived the attack by maneating tiger Tatiana broke their silence Saturday, calling their dead friend's family to say they did everything they could to save the teen.

Man-eating tiger? Yes, from what I’ve read, the tiger did attack a trainer during a show at the zoo last year. Christmas Day’s incident was the first and last time the tiger killed anyone. Man-eating tiger seems to insinuate the tiger had a reputation for killing people, which she did not. My suggestion? Remove "maneating."

"They called and said they were sorry, that they did everything to help Carlos [Sousa Jr.]," said the victim's cousin Christina Sousa-Habenicht.

Kulbir Dhaliwal, 23, and Amritpal (Paul) Dhaliwal, 19, made the call just hours after they left San Francisco General Hospital yesterday, four days after the tiger escaped her lair, killed Sousa, and lashed into the brothers.

Escaped her lair? Are we talking about a dragon? The use of “lair” portrays the tiger as an evil being that was just waiting for the opportunity to kill mercilessly. We do not know what the tiger was thinking. And authorities are still trying to figure how the tiger got out of her“lair.” My suggestion? Replace “lair” with “enclosure.” I also have some reservations with the word “lashed,” since there were no eyewitnesses to the attack. Nevertheless, I would probably let it slide.

They spoke with Carlos Sousa Sr., the father of the slain 17-year-old. It was unclear if they offered any explanation of what happened to provoke the Christmas Day attack - but they revealed that officials initially thought they were lying.

"They called the police and they thought they were crazy," said Sousa-Habenicht. An 18-page police log transcript confirmed the Dhaliwal's claim.

The transcript shows:
# 5:08 p.m. The first report of an attack comes in; cops are told the two men may be lying - even though they are bloodied.


# 5:10 p.m. Zoo employees report a tiger is in fact loose.


# 5:13 p.m. Zoo begins evacuation and lockdown. Medics refuse to enter until secured.


# 5:17 p.m. Loose tiger is found.


# 5:20 p.m. Medics find Sousa, his jugular ripped open.


# 5:27 p.m. Cops kill Tatiana.

Cops continue to investigate whether Sousa Jr. and the Dhaliwal's taunted the 350-pound Siberian tiger before she made her leap to murderous freedom.

Murderous freedom? This seems to say that the Tiger planned and intended to escape, even planned to kill people to insure its "freedom." We don’t know that. We don’t know a lot about this incident. My suggestion? Replace “made her leap to murderous freedom” with “escaped and killed Sousa Jr.”

A hundred friends and relatives of Sousa, a high school junior, held a tearful prayer vigil last night at his grandmother's house in San Jose.

"My son was a good boy. He had a lot of friends, I can see that," said Sousa Sr., breaking down in tears. "I want you to remember the good things he did as long as you can."

The zoo remained closed, meanwhile. Zoo officials last week admitted that a protective wall separating visitors from the tiger exhibit was 4 1/2 feet shorter than recommended standards.

Zoo officials had no comment Saturday and cops declined comment on the transcript.

tel-ghobashy@nydailynews.com

With Bill Hutchinson

It is stories like this that give journalism a bad reputation. We have accused journalists of editorializing, and this an example why. Please just give the facts, even if they are few. If this Tiger was a person, they would have a case.

And to top it off, there are now reports saying that the Dhaliwal brothers never contacted Sousa's father.

Tiger attack survivors 'sorry' they couldn't save mauled friend

"Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

I didn’t realize it’s been this long since I’ve updated. Time has certainly flew these past few weeks. Anyway, I found something you might enjoy–my obituary. Obviously not my real obituary, but a 100 percent factious one. It was a written assignment given to me during my very first journalism class. And, apparently, I did a good job describing my life and death. I must be a good story teller. I got a A. Enjoy!

The following story is
fictional and does not depict
any actual person or event.
--Law and Order

Hero F-16 fight pilot G.A. Mendoza, 35, died Wednesday from injuries suffered in an auto accident near his Hawaii beach home.

The California native was killed on impact as another vehicle crossed into his path, Police Commander Sergio Diaz said. "It seems he was speeding. He was just going to fast. He had no time to react."

The driver of the other vehicle also suffered injuries, but is expected to survive, Diaz added.

Lured buy the Navy's speedy F-16, Mendoza enlisted in the Navy at 18. "The one thing about him," father Daniel Mendoza said, "he loved speed. He said the Navy was the only place he could fly something fast enough for him."

Within two years, he as acknowledge as a talented pilot. While stationed in Iraq, Mendoza received fame for intercepting an incoming raid by Iran during a routing practice mission. Outnumbered and faced with superior firepower, he proceeded to shoot down 24 enemy planes before returning back to base unharmed.

"He never understood what the big deal was," Longtime friend Jeremiah Lechon said. "He always just thought he was doing his job."

Mendoza was born March 3, 1984 in Los Angeles, Calif., the son of Daniel and Lupe Mendoza. he grew up in Bellflower, Calif.

By the age of 7 he began taking automotive magazine to school and reading them during class time. Childhood friend Joe Herrera recalls Mendoza being named "Mr. Crankshaft."

"He loved cars." Daniel Mendoza said. "If they were low, loud, or especially fast he loved it."

As a teenager he attended Bellflower High School were he played baseball and football. It was here that teachers saw potential in him. "His writing and reading skills were excellent," his high school teacher Karen Johnston said. "I remember asking him if his parents were teachers because I was so impressed.

Mendoza graduated from Bellflower High School in 2002. On month later he joined the Navy. After being honorably discharged from the Navy in 2011, Mendoza attended Cal State Long Beach, where he met his future wife Cynthia.

Upon graduation in 2016, he went to work as a staff editor for Hot Rod Magazine. It was his dream job, Lechon said.

Daniel Mendoza recalled Mendoza saying, "Were else can I hangout with industry legends, drive prototype cars and get paid for it?" Around the office Mendoza was always polite and respectful, and willing got help others, Lechon said. "Helping people not only makes the one being helped feel good, but it also makes me feel good, " Lechon recalled Mendoza saying.

He eventually worked his way to editor-in-chief of Hot Rod Magazine. A this position he was able to influence trends and introduce alternative forms of power, colleague Sam Lawson said.

"He always saw gasoline price and availability as a limiting factor for the growth of the industry." Lawson said. "He thought the use of other fuels such as bio-diesel, propane, and hydrogen was the only way to keep the industry growing."

In addition to his parents, his wife, daughter, son, and two brothers survive G.A. Mendoza. The funeral will be at noon at St. Anthony's Catholic church in Falls Church, Virginia. The burial will be in Longden Cemetery, Virginia.