Dog Attacks Man, Bites Him Nearly 70 Times
June 25, 1996
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A pair of pit bull terriers attacked a neighbor who
was taking out his trash, dragging him to the ground and biting him
nearly 70 times.
"I thought I would die," Gene Chen, 45, told the Daily News of Los
Angeles from his hospital bed Monday. "Every time I tried
to stand, I was pulled down."
Chen, a printer, was being treated at Northridge Hospital Medical
Center. Chen's condition had stabilized and improved from Sunday night
when he was admitted in critical condition.
Chen was attacked and mauled by the dogs while taking out his garbage
at about 9 p.m. Sunday.
Chen, who tumbled over the sidewalk and curb as he was pulled by the
dogs, was saved only when the two dogs - named Chopper and Jody - were
surrounded by screaming neighbors.
"It was one of the worst things I'd ever seen in my life," said
neighbor Raymond Reveles, who ran to help clutching an ax handle. "It
seemed like I was standing there for an eternity. You can only do so
much. You take a swing at the dog and you could hit the guy."
Chen was being treated for 67 teeth marks and cuts from his head to
his toes, hospital official said.
"He was outside when he saw two children who opened a garage door and,
for no apparent reason, the two pit bulls, one weighing as much as 75
pounds, charged at him knocking him down and biting him," said Sgt.
Bill Maarschalk.
Nam Nguyen saw the attack on his neighbor and was one of many who
tried to fight the dogs off with sticks.
"He was badly hurt from the neck down pretty much," he said.
The dogs were placed in a rabies quarantine at the West Valley Animal
Care and Control Center, where they will be observed for 10 days.
The dogs' owner apologized for the attack and said she wouldn't try to
prevent the dogs from being destroyed if authorities decided they must
be euthanized.
"We're sorry and regret this happened," said Debbie Potts. " We're
really sorry and actually are scared to have (the dogs) around our
children after this has happened."
by