Ernest De La Garza said he barely saw the three dogs coming. "I was just out picking up trash and three pit bulls came at me."
The dogs escaped from a house nearby, attacking several people Wednesday, including De La Garza.
"I just kept them at bay with the thing that I was picking up trash with and then went in and called the sheriff's department," said De La Garza.
Sheriff's deputies came quickly, and when a deputy got out of her car, at least one of the pit bulls ran at her. Deputies said she shot and killed the dog.
Alonzo Vaughn owned the dog, named Roscoe, and said he was out returning videos to the store when it happened.
"By the time I got out, I was told he had attacked somebody and had to be put down," said Vaughn.
Vaughn said his dogs were gentle and probably were only jumpy because someone had thrown a brick threw his window earlier in the day.
It was the same window the dog's used to get out.
"I have my 2-year-old daughter and my 1-year-old son and they pull and play and run and nothing," said Vaughn.
The attack had neighbors shaken up.
"My little baby doesn't even come outside because there's dogs running around here by themselves," said a resident.
Animal Care Services is investigating the incident and took the two surviving dogs into custody.
If it's determined that they are not dangerous, they could be released back to the Vaughn. But if authorities decide they pose too great a risk, they could also be put down.
(KSAT - Oct 27, 2011)