Neighbor’s dogs fatally attack 77-year-old Phoenix woman
Jul 7, 2021, 6:24 AM | Updated: 10:55 am
Alejandro Hernandez (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Photo)
(Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Photo)
PHOENIX — A 77-year-old woman died after she was attacked by a neighbor’s four dogs in Phoenix, authorities said.
Phoenix police said Maria Ruiz suffered multiple critical injuries in the attack near Broadway Road and Sixth Street early Tuesday. She was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The dogs’ owner, Alejandro Hernandez, 33, was booked into jail on suspicion of one count of negligent homicide.
Police said Ruiz was on her front porch around 7 a.m. when the Staffordshire Terrier mix dogs attacked her without provocation.
Hernandez had been contacted in the past by Maricopa County Animal Care and Control about his dogs escaping. He was told to fix a gate to keep the animals secured, police said.
Maricopa County animal control workers Tuesday managed to seize the dogs, one of which was to undergo a test for rabies.
Police also said Hernandez told them the dogs had gotten out of his yard several others times and bitten neighbors.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
