Connecticut: Six-year-old girl attacked by pit bull; police say they can't force the owner to hand over the dog... so I guess they're going to do NOTHING??

CONNECTICUT -- Six-year-old Alexus’ arm is swollen, bruised and stitched up.

Friday night, she was with her mother and sister when a pit bull attacked them in their Waterbury apartment.

“It was horrible. It was like this dog is gonna kill my daughter so I was just screaming for help. Help, somebody please help me this dog is gonna kill my daughter,” said Lisandra DeLeon, Alexus’ mother.

Lisandra said they were in the elevator heading down from their fourth floor apartment on Bishop Street when the elevator stopped on the third floor.

When the doors opened, chaos broke out.

“The dog was loose in the hallways,” said Alexus. “I was running away from it and then it was chasing me and then it bit my arm.”

Lisandra said during the attack the dog also went after her seven month old, but the baby’s stroller flipped so the dog went after Alexus. 

Neighbors heard their screams and came outside to help. Eventually, the dog’s owner showed up, too, but Lisandra said she wasn’t cooperating.

“[The owner] came out and was ‘like don’t hit my dog, don’t hit my dog,’ and I was like ‘your dog is ripping off my daughter’s skin’ and she just started pulling the dog inside,” said Lisandra.

Lisandra said neighbors called 911 and when police arrived they knocked on the owner’s door to investigate and remove the animal. When nobody answered, they left.

Alexus was taken to the hospital and the family spent the night with a relative. Lisandra called police again today to see about having the dog removed.

“I’m terrified. I came over here this morning and when I heard the dog was loose again. I’m just scared to go upstairs,” said Lisandra.

We spoke to police this afternoon and they said two additional attempts were made to get the dog. Both were unsuccessful. None of the residents questioned by officers know the name of the owner so police called the property manager. There was no answer and they had to leave a message.

News 8 called the property manager as well and got the same result. Now, it’s a waiting game for Lisandra and her daughters.

“I want the dog out of here and I believe these people should get arrested because that’s not right. That was really inhumane what they did. 

 

 

"They should have came outside and helped and they should have at least try to tame the dog you know, to get the dog off of my daughter. They didn’t do anything,” said Lisandra.

Lisandra said after News 8 contacted police to question what was being done to reprimand the dog and owner, an additional attempt was made to get into the apartment.

This time, Lisandra said multiple police cars and the fire department were on hand but there was still no answer.

Police say when they do make contact with the owner, the dog will be quarantined.

Hey dudes. It's called a search warrant. Get one. Otherwise, this child has to get rabies shots. You only have 10 days to quarantine the dog. You need to arrest the owner for obstruction.

I guarantee you that if this Pit Bull had mauled one of these officers' children, they would've been battering the door down to that apartment to snatch that dog up.

(WTNH - August 6, 2017)