Melissa Astacio Somerset, MA woman mauled to death by family pit bull dog while having a seizure. Dog showed no previous violent tendencies.
A Massachusetts woman was mauled to death by the family dog while suffering a seizure over the weekend.
Melissa Ausmus Astacio, 44, was having a seizure around 5:30 p.m. Friday night, in her Somerset home when the 8-year-old pit bull attacked her, WJAR reported.
Her daughter, Heaven, was calling 911 for help when the dog named Amigo pounced on the woman, who had a history of seizures.
‘I don’t think he was trying to attack her,’ her daughter told WJAR. ‘I think the dog was just trying to help my mom but he’s just a dog and he didn’t know any better.’
‘He never left her side…’
Officers were forced to taze the dog before they could help Astacio, who was rushed to the hospital, only to fatally succumb to her injuries. The woman was recorded as deceased at 6.20p.m less than an hour after being set upon by the dog.
Astacio’s neighbor Michael Viveiros said people carried Melissa over their shoulder and didn’t wait for a stretcher because ‘she was bleeding pretty bad and they wanted to get her help as quick as possible.’
Astacio’s daughter said the dog had never reacted violently before to her mother suffering a seizure.
‘The dog would just lay on the side of her and like sniff her and stuff like that,’ Heaven said.
A close family friend said the dog was protective of Astacio and never left her side.
Authorities said the dog was brought to Swansea Animal Rescue, where he was placed in quarantine. No foul play or criminal conduct is suspected, and the incident is under investigation, the Bristol County District Attorney’s office said.
Come Sunday mid afternoon, EST, a GoFundme fundraiser for funeral expenses for the fallen woman had raised over $5K of a $10K target.
