An 85-year-old woman was mauled to death by a neighbor’s escaped dogs.
Police rushed to the scene after they were alerted to the incident in the town of Rowley Regis, west of Birmingham, at around 3:30 pm.
Lucille Downer suffered fatal injuries after she was cornered and attacked by the ‘dangerously out of control’ dogs – believed to be pitbull-type.
An air ambulance landed near the grandmother’s home while police cordoned off the street but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
A vet had also rushed to the property with a tranquilizer to sedate the dogs.
Police said that the animals managed to get into her property by breaking a fence.
One neighbor who heard the attack told The Sun: “I think from what I’ve heard there was a broken fence and they’ve escaped through to there and mauled her to death.
“It’s just horrible what’s happened I didn’t know her personally but it’s terrible.”
Another neighbor said: “It’s just horrific what’s happened and we’re so shocked if she’s an elderly lady in her 80s she would have stood no chance.”
The dogs have since been seized and would be examined to determine their breed.
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the woman at this deeply distressing time,” the police statement said.
Her family said in a heartbreaking statement: “Lucille was a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who spent her working years as a cook at Bromford House Care Home in West Bromwich.
“Lucille was born in Jamaica and emigrated to the UK in her early 20s.
“Since arriving in the UK, Rowley Regis has always been her home and her family will miss her dearly.”
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Replaced!