A four-year-old girl was killed by her dog after her grandmother suddenly died on Monday.
Police found 53-year-old Olivia Regalado and 4-year-old Evelynn Lopez unresponsive in a Huntingburg, Indiana, home on Monday, with at least seven dogs, according to the local authorities. Regalado was pronounced dead on the scene, while Lopez was transported to a nearby hospital.
Investigators say Lopez was attacked by at least one of the dogs in the residence, but they’re not sure why. The four-year-old later died from her injuries at Deaconess Memorial in Jasper, Indiana.
An autopsy also revealed Regalado had a medical emergency from a “preexisting medical condition,” which killed her, police said. Her death left the child alone with the seven dogs.
Investigators also sedated and euthanized all seven dogs, which included six pit bulls and a poodle-mix, “for the safety of everyone involved and the preservation of evidence.” The dogs’ remains are now at the Southern Indiana Purdue Agriculture Center for testing.
No criminal charges have been filed, and police say they don’t suspect foul play.
Neighbor Jeff Means told local outlet WFIE he was shocked by the news.
“I was in shock when I heard about it because I had no clue, I didn’t hear the first siren,” Means said. “I was devastated, I could not believe it when I heard someone died. I know they’ve had a lot of dogs, they’ve had five or six, something like that.”
Means went on to tell local outlet WEHT he knew they had pit bulls in their home: “I’ve had them from 8 weeks weaned all the way up to a full-sized adult. 70-80 pound lap dogs, basically, I mean they wouldn’t do nothing. I mean, they wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
Huntingburg is a small town of just 6,000 people. Mayor Neil Elkins said that, for many first responders, this was their first time seeing someone dead, according to local outlet WEHT.
“It was not a good scene to be on, it was a somber scene,” says Mayor Elkins. “I ask right now that everybody’s prayers go out to that family and also those first responders that had to see what they saw and went through what they had to yesterday.”
“Those responders are parents, you know, they are grandparents,” Elkins added. “A lot of hugging and crying, I was crying myself. I’m crying a little bit right now, but I think it is something that, citizens, it is not time to go out on social media and start bashing people. It’s time to be supportive of the families.”
