A dog owner in Florida has been arrested following a tragic incident where her two dogs fatally attacked a woman, as stated by the police.
Linda Cutler, 29, reportedly pretended to have a heart attack when authorities arrived on the scene Wednesday, according to Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey.
She was taken into custody near the Hilton Hotel in Melbourne, located on Florida’s Space Coast, shortly after being charged with manslaughter. This incident occurred just a week after her dogs attacked 50-year-old Jodie Cowan while she was out walking her dog in Cocoa.
According to reports, Cutler’s dogs, Max and Mako, managed to climb over a fence around 2 a.m. on May 19, leading to a vicious attack on Cowan. Sheriff Ivey described how Cowan fell to the ground and was brutally assaulted, with the dogs dragging her a significant distance.
Cowan’s husband, Donnell Smith, tried to intervene by waving a knife to scare off the dogs.
When Cowan called 911 after the attack, she was heard saying, “I feel like I’m dying, I can’t breathe,” in distressing audio.
Smith later shared his grief, stating, “It was brutal. To see the same woman you’ve loved for 25 to 30 years torn apart by just two animals… you’ll never get that image out of your head.” This really captures the horror of the situation.
Cowan succumbed to her injuries hours later, but Cutler wasn’t arrested at that moment. Her only prior arrest was related to an unrelated disturbance at the beach.
As she was taken to prison, Sheriff Ivey remarked, “I hope you enjoy the beach because you’re never going back.”
Cutler, seemingly perplexed, asked, “What’s the purpose of that?” She could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
The sheriff responded sharply, highlighting the gravity of the situation: “A woman is dead and two dogs are about to be euthanized because of your incompetence.” Authorities revealed that Cutler was aware her dogs had previously escaped but had failed to secure the fence.
One neighbor even mentioned having been bitten by other dogs in the past, but they didn’t cooperate with the police.
Neighbors described the dogs as frequently on the run, adding another layer of concern.
However, legal constraints prevented authorities from seizing the dogs prior to the attack.
In a sad conclusion, both dogs are set to be euthanized, and Cutler is scheduled for arraignment on June 23.
