Pit bull mauls W.Va. man attempting to save dog's owner. Both men are now dead.

WEST VIRGINIA -- David Wallace, 63, was entertaining a friend at his Wheeling home at 8:50 p.m. when he started to suffer from what appears to be a heart attack, police Sgt. Gregg McKenzie told the Daily News on Wednesday.

Wallace lived in an upstairs apartment of a makeshift duplex and his unnamed female guest rushed downstairs to ask his neighbor, Roy Higgenbotham Jr., 62, for help.

Higgenbotham immediately called 911 and ran upstairs, McKenzie said. But when he tried to help Wallace by slapping him in the face a few times, the pit bull launched a vicious attack, mauling his arms and upper torso.

By the time police officers arrived, they found a woman, who was in the room at the time of the attack, hiding from the dog on the roof of the home. Higginbotham, police said, was screaming for help as the dog bit his arm and leg.

"After kicking in the door, officers went to an upstairs bedroom where they observed the victim on the floor of the bedroom being attacked by a white and brown pit bull with blood all over its face," Deputy Police Chief Martin Kimball told The Post. "The dog came towards officers in an aggressive manner and then hid in a corner of the room."

The two men were transported to a local hospital, where both were pronounced dead, according to police.

"When the firefighter brought the young female down from the roof, she was very shaken up," a witness told CBS affiliate KDKA.

Ohio County Animal Control officers removed the three-year-old dog from the home and placed it in quarantine while police continued their investigation, according to the Wheeling Intelligencer.
Police think Sunday's incident may not have been the first time the dog attacked.

"We believe this same dog may have attacked another pedestrian several weeks ago on the street," Kimball told The Post. "We do have an ordinance, and we do enforce it."

Under the city ordinance, pit bulls are among several bleeds classified as "vicious," according to police. Owners of so-called "vicious" dogs are required to take out a $100,000 liability insurance policy and keep the dog muzzled and properly confined, according to police. The dog that killed Higginbotham was not registered, police said.

"It is highly unusual for pit bulls to actually carry out a fatal attack in our jurisdiction, although we do have a number of pit bulls in that area," Kimball said. "If you have a dog that has a propensity for violence, you have to maintain control of the dog for yourself and other citizens."

(Washington Post - March 11, 2015)

Earlier:

• Pit bull attacks and kills man who was trying to resuscitate owner during heart attack