Brittany Gardiner, 22, allegedly took her pit bull outside near Laurel Avenue and Fourth Street for a walk Tuesday when a child accompanied by an adult asked if she could pet Gardiner’s dog, according to Sgt. Julian Villagomez with the National City Police Department.
The dog then attacked the girl, identified by neighbors as Hailey Nunez, biting her face and shoulder and grabbing her in its mouth.
Neighbors told NBC 7 that more than four men and Gardiner tried to pry the dog away from the girl for quite a while, punching and kicking the dog.
"All of a sudden I hear a cry," said neighbor Vanessa Gonzalez. "I walk over and I could see where she was trying to pet the dog but the dog reached out and attacked her."
Bystander Juan Terrance eventually hit the dog repetitively with a rock until it let go of the toddler.
"Fortunately there was a rock at the bottom of the hill," Terrance said. "I grabbed it. I grabbed it and hit the dog five times."
Nunez sustained serious injuries and was taken to Rady Children’s Hospital for surgery, Villagomez said.
By Tuesday evening, she was in fair condition.
When police were called to the scene, Gardiner attempted to flee, but was taken into custody shortly after, according to police. She faces three charges of child cruelty, obstruction of a police officer and owning an animal that causes serious injury, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department website.
Gardiner’s dog was also taken into custody.
(NBC 7 San Diego - Oct 9, 2012)
