Girl, 11, Recovering After Being Mauled By 2 Dogs On Way To School
YONKERS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A sixth grader in Yonkers was recovering Thursday night after she was attacked by two dogs on her way to school.
As CBS2's Jessica Layton reported, the little girl may not have survived if not for the quick action of a stranger.
With bandages covering half her body, Jaelyn Rodriguez, 11, was lucky to be out of the hospital and home with her mom Thursday night.
"It's a mess," said Teresa Rolon. "When I see my daughter in pain, it's just so heartbreaking."
Her sentiment was understandable, knowing the torture her daughter endured Thursday morning on her way to school.
"They knocked her down, and her clothes were ripped; blood on her shoes," Rolon said.
Jaelyn was walking up a hill to her bus stop feet from where she lives Thursday morning, when out of nowhere, two giant bull mastiff-type dogs – more than 100 pounds each – started mauling her.
"By the time she turned around to try to run, they were on top of her already," Rolon said.
A man in his car who saw the dogs attacking Jaelyn immediately pulled over, grabbed the plastic top of a nearby garbage can, and started hitting the dogs with it -- giving the girl enough time to get to the Good Samaritan's car.
"She was really scared," said Good Samaritan Jose Jimenes. "And also, the only thing she said is, 'Take me to the hospital, please, and call my mom.'"
Jimenes raced Jaelyn to the emergency room of St. Joseph's Medical Center in Yonkers and told her she'd be OK. There, she got a visit from Yonkers police Commissioner Charles Gardner and Mayor Mike Spano, who praised Jimenes' heroic actions.
"That took a lot of guts to do what they did, and they, no doubt, saved this little girl's life," Spano said.
Police had to kill both dogs at the scene. Rolon wants to know – who is the owner, and how did the dogs get loose in the first place?
But for now, she is focusing on her daughter.
"Thank God for that Samaritan, the Good Samaritan," Rolon said. "I don't think I would have had my daughter if it wasn't for him."
Yonkers police did locate the owner of the dogs and were questioning him late Thursday. It is unclear if he will face any charges.
