“He just went inside by himself, without even asking me,” Scoppettuolo said by phone on Saturday.
Scoppettuolo said the two large dogs were friendly during the first few moments when 14-year-old Brandon Marchetti was inside the construction yard. But that suddenly changed and the animals attacked Marchetti without warning, Scoppettuolo said.
The 12-year-old dialed 911 on his cellphone and frantically summoned help. Moments later, Revere Police Officer Mike Mullen, along with other officers and Revere firefighters, arrived on the scene to see both dogs mauling Marchetti, according to Revere police.
Mullen fired at both dogs, hitting one in the leg and driving it away from Marchetti, Detective Sergeant Steven Pisano of the Revere police said last week. Firefighters sprayed the other dog with a fire hose, cut open the gate, allowing Mullen to climb the fence and carry the boy to safety, Pisano said.
Marchetti was transported by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, according to Scoppettuolo’s uncle, Richie Troville, who said he did not know the boy’s condition.
A hospital spokeswoman could not confirm Saturday whether Marchetti was at the hospital.
Marchetti’s parents could not be reached for comment Saturday.
Pisano said Scoppettuolo told police Marchetti had scaled the fence by climbing a snow bank and jumping onto a retaining wall connected to the fence. Scoppettuolo told officers he stayed on the wall while Marchetti jumped down into the yard.
The owner of the property has kept guard dogs in the yard for three decades, and in all that time police never received a complaint about him or the dogs, Pisano said. The yard was enclosed by a padlocked, 6-foot-high, chain-link fence topped with barbed wire, he said.
Mullen was uninjured, police said.
In the phone interview Saturday, Scoppettuolo said he and Marchetti often visited the dogs, named Bella and Sonny, while on walks around their neighborhood.
But neither had ever before tried to enter the construction yard near the Northgate Shopping Center.
Troville said his nephew remains deeply upset by witnessing the dogs suddenly turn on his best friend.
“I think he’s still kind of distraught,” Troville said.
Troville said Marchetti and Scoppettuolo spend a lot of time together, looking for things to do in the neighborhood. They would routinely visit the dogs, feeding and petting them through the fence, Troville said.
According to Troville, the owner had warned the boys to be cautious near the animals.
“He told them you need to stay away from the dogs,” Troville said of the owner of the construction yard.
Troville said there had been guard dogs inside the construction yard for many years, and “beware of dog” signs were posted on the fence.
Police said the owner had both dogs put to sleep.
(Boston Globe - Mar 24, 2013)
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