Colorado boy, 12, seriously injured in pitbull attack that also killed his 89-yr-old grandmother
GOLDEN, COLORADO: A vicious attack by a pet pitbull left a 12-year-old from Colorado with significant injuries and also claimed the life of the boy's elderly grandmother. On the afternoon of September 14, Ty Gehring and his 89-year-old grandmother Mary Gehring were both attacked by the boy's dog Diablo, which is Spanish for ‘devil,’ and another pitbull. When the two dogs attacked Ty's grandma, he went to a neighbor for assistance and dialed 911.
When backup arrived, the officers tried to subdue the animals but were unsuccessful. Both victims were then brought to the hospital. Diablo reportedly had been living with Ty since his parents' divorce more than seven years ago. Four days after the assault, Mary Gehring died from her wounds, according to a statement sent by her family via the Golden Police Department. Ty's father, who wished to remain unidentified, spoke to Fox 31 and expressed his inability to comprehend the awful events, calling the dog a ‘sweetheart’ while discussing his son and grandma's close relationship.
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He said, "They grew up together that's why I have a hard time believing that he was any kind of aggressor. For the years that I have known that dog, he was a sweetheart. That was his best friend. Ty just got baptized by his grandma recently, and she has a very active role in his life. She was a very good influence. His grandma was one of the kindest people that you would ever meet in real life."
Golden Police Department said that officers were dispatched following an initial report that Ty was bleeding and Mary was being attacked in the backyard. The 12-year-old had asked a neighbor for assistance before emergency services arrived, according to police. When officers arrived at the scene, they found blood in the house and located Ty’s grandmother in the backyard with the two pitbulls attacking her. The officers then attempted to put themselves between the victim and the dogs. Despite verbally reprimanding the hounds and the use of tasers, officers could not hold off the dogs until additional support arrived.
Paramedics who were on standby later transferred Ty’s grandmother' to St Anthony's Hospital, which was nearby. Officers then assisted Ty, who had sustained lacerations and puncture wounds during the incident. He was transported to the same hospital before being flown to a children's hospital. Ty has already been discharged, but the two dogs were put to sleep, one because of injuries incurred in the attack, and the other because the dog's owners had given up ownership.
