Fox Attacks In Middleboro Send 2 Women To The Hospital
MIDDLEBORO (CBS) -- Crestena Astorga says she was attacked by a fox in her own driveway Sunday night. She has more than 11 bites.
"I say help me! Help me! Help me!" Crestena Astorga said.
"I think I had a heart attack because my heart was going… oh my God scary," she said.
Luckily, her daughter Gabriela was home and came running outside when she heard the screams.
Crestena Astorga was bit 11 times by a fox before her daughter fought it off with a shovel @wbz pic.twitter.com/MRplnhpUNv
— Lisa Gresci (@Lisa_Gresci) July 30, 2018
"My first reaction was to grab the shovel and hit the fox as hard as I could. The fox was tough I hit it to kill honestly. I hit it with all the power I had and the fox still tried to come back for more one more time," Gabriela Goncalves said.
A single fox is believed to be responsible for two attacks late Sunday night and Monday morning in Middleboro. The attacks, which left two women injured, took place about a half a mile from one another, police said.
Around 9:45 p.m. on Sunday, police responded to a call on Muttock Lane and found a woman with bite marks on both her legs. She was taken to a local hospital.
On Monday morning, a 911 call to Middleboro Police reported that a woman had been bitten by a fox around 7:10 a.m. at the Kampgrounds of America Campground on Plymouth Street. She was taken to the hospital and Animal Control was notified.
"The Animal Control Officer and Middleborough Police are actively searching for the fox Monday morning in the area of Route 44 near the Nemasket River," said police.
Police say they're still searching for the fox.
"My mom was like holding the fox by the nose … and the fox was really going at it. The fox was insane. The fox was out of control. I have never seen something like that in my life," Goncalves said.
The scariest part is that Astorga has a young granddaughter. She loves to play outside.
"I have a granddaughter,8 years [old]. She would have died. My God," Astorga said.
The family truly believes Gabriella's quick thinking saved her mother's life.
"In the matter of a minute it bit her 11 times! What if I wasn't there, the fox would have bit her nonstop," Goncalves said.
Healthy foxes generally avoid humans. If you see a fox acting aggressively or in the area of Route 44 and Plymouth Street in Middleboro, you are asked to call Middleboro Animal Control at 508-946-2455. If you have come into contact with a fox, you should seek medical attention.