Charges could be filed after police say a pit bull terrier attacked a 71-year old woman who was picking up her great-grandchild.
SHAKER HEIGHTS, OHIO--
A great-grandmother has died after she was attacked Sunday afternoon by what police described as a pit bull terrier.
According to friends, 71-year old Annie Williams was visiting a great-grandchild who lived in the 3600 block of Pennington Road in Shaker Heights.
Calls to 911 captured frantic moments when the dog, believed to be a pet at the home, attacked.
"He's on top of a lady," one caller said. "Somebody's trying to get him off but they can't get him off."
Witnesses said that a neighbor first tried prying off the dog with a broom before another ended the attack with a gun.
The dog later died.
At the home on Pennington Road, there is now a sign asking for privacy. An empty doghouse could be seen in the backyard.
Relatives say Williams had worked for a number years at University Hospitals and then, more recently, at a McDonald's restaurant on Lee Road.
Regular customers knew her as the "fry lady," since she was most often stationed by the French fries.
"And she'll be back there and I'll go and she'd say 'what you'd getting today?' and 'you know, you don't need nothing—you're fat already!'" joked Jay Prater, a regular customer who adored her.
Woman dies after mauled by dog in Shaker Heights
"I could tell by the way she carried herself that she was a nice lady," said Willie Copeland, a McDonald's customer. "She didn't know strangers."
Manager Candace Martin said Williams worked there for nearly a decade and regularly out-performed teenagers.
"And she loved the Lord," Martin said. "That's for sure. We know where she's going."
She described Williams as "awesome."
Shaker Heights officials say the city does not have a ban on pit bull terriers, but it does have a ban on vicious dogs.
It is not yet clear if the pit bull's owner will be charged.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner determined she died of sharp injuries to her neck and throat.