An elderly woman was found dead after a dog attack on Monday morning in Miami Gardens, according to police.
As reported by the Miami Herald, police said the 72-year-old woman was attacked by at least one dog, but possibly several dogs, on her way to work. The woman was found unresponsive and with multiple dog bites by police officers around 7:40 a.m. in a lot at the 1400 block of Northwest 196th Terrace, said Miami Gardens police spokeswoman Officer Diana Delgado.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue paramedics responded to the scene and declared the woman deceased, Delgado said. Police have not found the dog or dogs that attacked the woman, Delgado said, adding the incident remains under investigation.
Victim Warned About Pitbull Menace in the Neighborhood
The woman, identified as Doreen Richard Broadbelt, had warned about the free-roaming dogs, believed to be pit bulls or pit mixes, who eventually killed her, according to her daughter, Lateisha Wilkinson. “She talked about it every day,” Wilkinson said. “She talked about it, and they did nothing about it.”
Animal services personnel also responded and were going door to door swabbing dogs to collect DNA in an effort to identify the culprits. Miami-Dade County has a law prohibiting stray dogs, and officials asked residents to call 311 or 305-468-5900 to report stray animals in their area.
Detectives asked anyone with information about this or other cases to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 to remain anonymous.
