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| Bloodstains where the attack occurred |
On Friday evening, Athena Neofitou was walking to her mailbox in the 700 block of Ponca Street in the Greektown neighborhood, when the dog named "Blue" started biting.
"It was not on a leash. It ran across the street and bit her and dragged her down to the sidewalk," said Sam Kosmas, who lives a few doors down.
The woman's family told us off-camera that much of her lower lip was ripped off, and it's uncertain if she'll survive. The owner of the pit bull is not hiding behind closed doors.
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| Henriett Rouzer says the elderly woman overreacted when her pit bull jumped on her and tried to "play" with her |
Henriett Rouzer says the dog ran from her porch and scared the elderly woman.
"By her screaming she startled him. He turned around and jumped on her. She was smacking at him, she was hitting him, so he figured that she was attacking him. And he bit her," said Rouzer.
Rouzer says she ran to help the woman before she was rushed to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. She showed us where Blue typically stays locked inside.
"Normally, he's in the house on a chain cause the door can come open and shut," Rouzer said.
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| According to the owner, the screen door is left wide open so they chain the dog inside the house -- using this crappy Dollar Store tether, more appropriate for a Yorkie sized dog - not a pit bull |
But that’s not what happened Friday evening. Police told Rouzer she will be fined and most likely have to pay the woman's medical bills.
That's not her top concern since she knows what it’s like to lose a loved one. Rouzer has the injuries to show she escaped the Hollins St. fire in 1994 that killed nine relatives, including her three sons. Then in January 2010, she lost her mom and three relatives in a fire on Oliver St.
Now, she takes full responsibility for the dog attack; her concern is with the woman she didn't know.
"My prayers are with her. And I'm hoping she comes out okay," said Rouzer.
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| It's always creepy to see pit bull photos where the owners have throttled the dogs to keep them still for the camera |
The dog was taken to a shelter. There’s no word on if he’ll be euthanized.
(ABC2 - June 4, 2011)
