Pitbulls attack woman

By: CARISSA HEBERT

Managing Editor

The victim of a vicious pitbull attack remains in ICU in Opelousas after three pitbulls attacked her Sunday morning, August 24, in the 700 block of E. Wilson Street.

Chief Neal Lartigue and Lt. Pat Foret, a detective for the Ville Platte Police Department, both stated the investigation into this incident continues and more charges are pending.

“This matter is still under investigation,” Lartigue said.

Foret said at 7:23 a.m. the department received a call about dogs attacking an elderly woman. When Officer Brent Zachary arrived on the scene he found three pit bulls biting the elderly woman, who is in her early 80s. “He exited his vehicle and shouted,” Foret said in an attempt to make the dogs leave the woman alone. At that time, the dogs charged Officer Zachary, forcing him to shoot one of the dogs. The other two ran under the house.

The dogs came back after Officer Zachary, Foret said, so he fired another shot at the dogs, this time wounding one of them.

Officer Willis Thomas arrived on the scene and Foret said the dogs charged the officers once again. They fired another shot at the dogs and the animals retreated under the house. He said the pitbulls were a mama and her two puppies, but the puppies were of a good size.

The victim, who The Gazette has learned is Luna McDaniel, was taken to Opelousas General with serious wounds to her face, arms and legs. The Gazette learned McDaniel was scheduled for surgery. It is still unknown if she will lose her foot or leg, which was badly damaged in the attack, along with an earlobe.

Theo Doucet, the owner of the pitbulls, was given a total of nine citations by the police department. He was cited for allowing dogs to run at large (three counts), improper confinement of those dogs (three counts), and no liability insurance for dogs (three counts).

The remaining two dogs were euthenized.

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