Witnesses describe dog attack that killed Craig Sytsma last month in Metamora

MICHIGAN -- The family of the man who was mauled to death by dogs in Metamora wept in court Friday as they listened to witnesses describe the terrible dog attack.

Craig Sytsma died in July after two huge Cane Corso dogs attacked him during a jog in Metamora.

Dog owners Valbona Lucaj and Sebastiano Quagliata are charged with second degree murder.

Two people who had been bitten by the dogs in the past testified. The neighbors who had to shoot the animals to get them away from the 46-year-old jogger, and those who desperately tried to help him also took the stand.

One neighbor, who’s also an EMT, told the judge that the multiple bite wounds were so severe, she was helpless to stop Sytsma from bleeding to death.

“The blood just kept gushing out… I put paper towels [on him], and kept telling him ‘stick with me.’

He said he was going to die, he said they hit an artery. I first thought how – but the blood just did not stop,” said Helen Barwig, who rendered first aid. She said Sytsma stopped breathing even as she tried to give him CPR.


Sytsma was a divorced father of three. He lived in Livonia but worked near the place where he had been jogging that night. The dogs have since been destroyed.

Testimony will continue on September 12th.

(WXYZ - Aug 30, 2014)

Earlier:

• Lapeer prosecutor says he would have acted if told of prior dog attacks
• Police, animal control did little as dogs attacked walkers, records say
• Illegal aliens facing murder charges, deportation after dogs killed jogger
• Deadly dog mauling: A timeline of events for fatal attack in Lapeer County
• Two massive cane corso dogs maul to death Michigan jogger, owner could face charges
• 'I'm dying,' jogger gasped after vicious dogs attacked