UPDATED: Two people remain in Strong Memorial Hospital after a woman was attacked by a pit bull on Rockview Terrace early Wednesday morning.
Rochester Police say a woman named Maria Shaffer was the victim of an early morning pit bull attack outside a home on Rockview Terrace. She remains in critical condition. Deputy Rochester Police Chief Scott Peters says he’s convinced the three officers who shot the dog saved her life. He says she was still being mauled by the dog when the officers arrived. He says it was a shocking scene and her injuries were “horrific.”
Neighbor Lou Crocitti says the attack awakened his family. He ran outside with a bat but says police shot the dog before he could intervene. He says Shaffer was lying naked in the driveway being shaken by the dog.
Peters say the three officers fired a number of shots from their 45 caliber pistols and a shotgun before the dog died and finally released its grip on the victim. A stray bullet also hit 34-year-old Jamie Cruz. He’s is in the hospital in stable condition. Police say he’s the owner of the pit bull, but some neighbors said he was watching the dog for another person.
Police say Cruz and Shaffer have a child together, but they weren’t certain of their current relationship or of what set off the dog attack.
All of this happened shortly after 1:00 in the morning. The incident remains under investigation. There are no charges so far.