Florida: Sondra Tyson, 66, mauled, killed by own pit bull she has raised from a puppy

FLORIDA -- Leesburg, Florida police responded Thursday to a home on South Street where officials believe a woman was mauled and killed by her dog.

Lake County emergency medical services and Leesburg Fire Rescue requested police assistance on a medical call. Medical first responders entered the back of the home where Sondra Tyson, 66, was found dead, according to a release.

A person called 911 from the home and reported the victim was bleeding everywhere, had bite marks on her arms and the caller could see Tyson's bones.

Officials said they discovered a brindle pit bull mix, weighing about 100 pounds and covered in blood inside the home. They believe it is likely the reason for the victim’s injuries.

Paramedics found Tyson on her rear porch. They began to evaluate her but when the bloody, aggressive dog showed up and tried to get onto the porch with them, they first tried to block its path with a refrigerator but then retreated and called police.

Officials said they attempted to barricade the dog from the victim and left the residence, but the dog would not let medical personnel back inside the home.

According to police, the dog was not secure, would not allow personnel to go into the home and there was a "substantial likelihood that the dog could escape into the surrounding neighborhood."

"Given those circumstances, it was immediately necessary to incapacitate the animal in order to provide for public safety and to allow medical personnel inside the location," police said in a release. "An officer assigned with a patrol rifle positioned himself to stop the existing threat and to mitigate the possibility of collateral damage to anyone else."

"The cop came over, knocked on my door and he was like, 'Can you stay on the other side of the house? We're about to fire a rifle,'" neighbor Jen Smith said.

Officers shot and killed the dog. Iozzi says officers are trained to use discretion when they find a large dog growling and covered in blood blocking a door.

Police determined the dog attacked and killed the woman.

"It's the first time in my 21 years here in Leesburg that I'm aware of an owner being mauled to death by their own pet," Joe Iozzi, of the Leesburg Police Department, said.

The dog was not secure and was killed to prevent it from escaping into the surrounding neighborhood and to allow medical personnel to enter the home.

Investigators said Tyson was the owner of the dog and had it since it was a puppy. They have not determined the reason the dog attacked her.

The medical examiner said the cause of Tyson’s death was blood loss resulting from the mauling.

"(Tyson had) multiple bites all over (her) body. Some would be deemed to be defensive wounds and others postmortem wounds," Iozzi said.

No other people were found inside the home.

Thursday was not the first time law enforcement responded to the home due to a dog attack.

According to a Sheriff’s Office animal services report, on May 28, 2008, a reddish brown pit bull bit a child on the leg as she was riding a bicycle. The girl's boots apparently prevented any injury.

On Feb. 9, 2012, a 3-year-old child trying to kiss the same dog at the home was bitten in the face.

And on Nov. 13, 2014, a child at the home was either bitten or scratched by a Labrador named Hercules after getting in the middle of two dogs playing. The person who filed the complaint said she didn’t want to give the owner’s name because she was afraid the dog would be taken away.

But she added it belonged to the grandmother.

(ActionJaxNews - April 1, 2016)