Neighbor Describes Previous Run-In With Dogs That Mauled Owner To Death In Irving
IRVING, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - The neighbor of a woman who was killed by her two pit bulls on Saturday said he had a run-in with the dogs in a previous incident where they bit someone.
Johana Villafane, 33, died Saturday after she was attacked by her dogs at O'Connor Animal Hospital in Irving. Responding officers had to shoot and kill the dogs because they were unable to get near the woman due to the "aggressive behavior" of the pit bulls.
Police said the dogs were quarantined at the hospital due to an incident earlier this month where they apparently bit someone.
One of the owner's neighbors said the dogs broke through his fence during that previous incident and escaped into the neighborhood. He said law enforcement thought the dogs were his at first because they saw them going in and out of his fence.
"...they saw the pit bulls going in and out of the hole that they made in my back fence and asked me if they were my dogs," Grant Dickey said. "I said 'no, it's the neighbor's dogs... they broke through into my yard earlier' and they said 'well they bit somebody when they got out."
Before the dogs escaped and bit someone, Dickey said they seemed friendly but rough.
"They had always seemed friendly but aggressively friendly if you will. Jumping on you... and they were pretty sizable dogs," he said.
Irving police are still investigating the owner's death and what may have caused the dogs to attack her. Police said the attack happened as she was with the dogs in an exercise area of the animal hospital
