Woman Who Was Mauled by 2 Mongrel Pit Bulls Dies

A 70-year-old grandmother died early Wednesday after a savage mauling by two mongrel pit bull terriers in the South-Central Los Angeles residence of her grandchildren.

Marjee Lilly of San Diego had suffered extensive puncture wounds on her upper body and the flesh of both arms was chewed to the bone when her grandson’s dogs--described by animal control officers as part pit bull and part boxer--attacked her Tuesday morning.

She died at 2:33 a.m. at County-USC Medical Center, after six hours of surgery.

Lilly’s death was the first known fatality resulting from a pit bull attack in the city of Los Angeles and the second in Los Angeles County, authorities said.

The dogs, both 14-month-old males, will be destroyed at the owner’s request, pending an investigation by city animal regulation officials.

The attack occurred in the kitchen of the home of Clarence Hubbard, Lilly’s grandson, in the 2600 block of Kenwood Avenue. Police investigators said that Lilly, who was familiar with the dogs from previous visits, was trying to feed the animals when they apparently turned on her.

Hubbard could not be reached for comment. On Wednesday, a “Beware of Dog” sign that had been posted on the gate of his house, about a mile northwest of USC, had been removed.

But George Weissman, district supervisor for the South-Central Animal Care and Control Center, where the dogs are being held, said Wednesday that Hubbard told him he purchased the pit bulls as pets when they were 6 weeks old and that they had no history of violent behavior.

“Usually, there is some sort of . . . apprehension and record of problems, but that was not the case in this instance,” Weissman said. “There was no indication of any sort of provocation whatsoever.” He speculated that “a recessive gene” in the dogs might have sparked their attack.

Animal control authorities had received, but were unable to substantiate, complaints that the dogs had bitten a couple of people when they were found straying a few miles from home last July. Hubbard had reported the dogs stolen.

Several neighbors of Hubbard said they had never seen the dogs run loose or threaten to bite anyone. But Collinton Tillett, 19, who lives a few doors from the Hubbard residence, said he and his cousin were chased by the dogs recently and escaped by jumping over a fence.

“I was shocked by the news (of Lilly’s death),” he said, “but as soon as I saw the ambulance, I knew it was the pit bulls.”

Police said that no criminal charges will be filed: It is not illegal to own pit bulls and no evidence of negligence has been found.

“It was just a tragedy. The alarming thing is that the dogs knew her and were friendly toward her. The capacity of the dogs to turn so violent, so unpredictably, is what alarms everyone in this instance,” said Southwest Division Lt. Alan Kerstein.

Some animal regulation officials predicted that Lilly’s death will renew calls for bans on pit bulls. On Wednesday, Gov. George Deukmejian said during a morning news conference on another matter that he was disgusted by the attack and would be willing to consider legislation restricting pit bull ownership.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn will introduce a motion Tuesday asking for an update on the number of pit bull attacks in the county, a spokeswoman said Wednesday. Hahn may propose strengthening current laws on vicious-dog control and ask for an outright ban on owning pit bull dogs, she said. Several previous attempts by Hahn to win such a ban have been unsuccessful.

Both the city and the county have adopted ordinances that make it easier to impound and, after a hearing, destroy animals that bite people. The laws were prompted by a pit bull mauling of two children in the San Fernando Valley in 1985 and a well-publicized pit bull attack on an animal control officer in Glassell Park in 1987.

A new state law signed last September enables local animal control authorities to place restrictions on vicious dogs, defined as animals that attack people without provocation twice within 36 months while off the owner’s property. The law was proposed by Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) after a 2-year-old Northern California boy bled to death after an attack by a neighbor’s pit bull.

Other known deaths resulting from pit bull bites include a 6-year-old Hawthorne boy in 1983, and a 22-month-old Humboldt County boy last December.