Woman 'decapitated and eaten alive by son's pit bull in savage attack in back yard'

ROMANIA -- A man is facing a charge of manslaughter amid claims his pit bull terrier killed his mother, tearing off her head as it ate her alive in a monstrous attack.

Horrified neighbours found the body of Emilia Mitroi, 53, missing her head and right hand, and with her clothes torn to shreds in a ghastly scene.

Police believe she had been feeding the vicious crossbreed, which had a history of attacking people, in her back yard, when it turned on her.

Her 35-year-old son, Stefan Mitroi, who owned the dog, is now facing manslaughter charges for failing to keep the animal under control.

Police said Emilia's body was tangled up in the dog's chain and that officers had to use a tranquilliser gun to sedate the pet, which has since been destroyed.

Neighbour Miheal Ionescu said the dog had been kept to guard a house being built by Mitroi next to his mother's property, in Drobeta Turnu Severin, Romania.

A second dog snapped in a picture of the scene was a stray that had been attracted by the smell of the body and had not taken part in the attack, they said.

Ambulance service spokeswoman Dr Silvia Pruna said: "We found a 53-year-old patient who had died due to neck and head injuries made by a pit bull.

"When we got here, the tragedy had already occurred. The animal had its chain wrapped around the victim.

"The woman was naked after the animal had torn off her clothing and shredded it. The clothing was strewn around the yard."

Stefan Mitroi, who faces a manslaughter charge, said: "We always kept it chained up and she usually stayed well away from him."

A police spokesman said: "The dog has a history of attacking people and should clearly have been destroyed a long time again and not left in the charge of a woman too old to be able to control it.

(Mirror UK - March 9, 2015)