In a city that is known for its urban edge and bustling with a diversity of families and culture, no one expected such a shocking attack that happened to one woman. Annie Williams, 71, had family who lived in a Shaker Heights, Ohio home. She arrived Sunday afternoon to pick up two of her great-granddaughters, but before she could make it into the house, an unleashed dog brutally attacked the elderly woman. With Williams was her 13-year-old granddaughter, who was uninjured. A neighbor hearing the commotion ran out of his home and with the plea from another neighbor aimed a gun at the dog and shot him.
The dog was injured enough to stop its chase and attack, but it was too late. The loving great-grandmother, grandmother and mother was dead.
Police arrived at the scene after they received several 9-1-1 calls. Due to the behavior and injuries of the dog, police shot and killed the animal. They questioned those at the home and neighbors, but no one claimed ownership of the animal, leading to a dead end for police with no arrests.
On Tuesday morning the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner released the postmortem report on Williams and advised her cause of death stemmed from “crushing injuries to her neck, throat and body.” Local WKYC Channel 3 says a neighbor by the name of Phyllis Quarles was outside of her home when the attack occurred. She relayed to the media her son tried to wrestle the dog off Williams, but the dog turned his attack to the young man.
That is when the son demanded the neighbor to shoot the manic dog. Quarles’ son, Christian, believes the dog was a pit bull. The city has a ban on vicious dogs but has not assigned any specific breed to that ordinance.
Williams was adored as the local “fry lady” at a McDonald’s on Lee Road where she worked for more than a decade part-time. Customers said she always had a smile and jokes to keep their spirits lifted. Williams worked for a number of years with University Hospital prior to retiring. Her family is demanding the owner of the dog to step forward and take responsibility of the dog’s actions.