Cristal Smith admits the whole incident started because of an argument she had with Maria Aparicio, the dog’s owner.
Smith claims Aparicio’s son broke her window two weeks ago and she wanted Aparicio to replace it.
Court documents show the two women started arguing and Smith [allegedly] used racial slurs when she referred to Aparicio.
The argument became heated and Aparicio allegedly told her 10-year-old son to let out their pit bull-mixed dog.
“She let her dog loose on my children,” Smith said. "When she let the dog out, he jumped straight over the fence and bit me in my chest."
Smith pointed to the bandage over her chest and then to her leg, where she said the dog also bit her.
“I have two big holes back there,” Smith said referring to her leg.
Smith is glad the dog first attacked her because she was trying to protect her daughters. But the two girls were also attacked, she said.
Zanaye Smith, 12, showed her stitches in her chest. Crista Smith, 19, was bitten in the arm.
"She got it… she got it good,” Cristal Smith said. “The dog actually pushed her down and was mauling on her arm."
"It just felt like he was on my bone,” Crista Smith said.
In court, Aparicio sobbed before a judge.
Aparicio, 35, told the judge she accidentally let out the dog and ask for leniency as she is a single mother of five. She worried she could lose her job.
“We've been doing so well,” she said of her family.
Aparicio was charged with three counts of aggravated assault and the judge set her bond at $4,800.
(ABC15 - May 2, 2012)
