The attack occurred around 7:12 a.m. in the area of Ashburton Avenue at Yonkers Avenue when the girl was walking to school bus stop, said Sgt. Dean Politopoulos.
Politopoulos said the girl was attacked by the dogs, which she tried to fight off along with the help of nearby residents. A Good Samaritan who was driving in the area threw items at the dog and was able to separate them from the girl, he said. The person then drove the girl, who had multiple bites and scratches, to an area hospital, where she was later released.
When police arrived on the scene, they found the two very large dogs unleashed without an owner present, he said. The dogs exhibited aggressive and violent behavior to people and the officers. Members of the Emergency Service Unit attempted to control the animals with health sticks and darts to no avail; for the safety of everyone present, the animals were then euthanized.
An investigation has yielded that the animals escaped from a deficiently fenced-in yard on Prescott Street, Politopoulos said.
The owner of the animals, 49-year-old Antonio Santana of Yonkers, was subsequently located and interviewed by police on Thursday and was arrested on Friday, Politopoulos said.
Santana has been charged with two counts of reckless endangerment, a Class A misdemeanor.
The prosecution of this case is being managed by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
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