Woman Mauled To Death By Pit Bulls

People in Truth or Consequences who knew 48-year-old Margaret Salcedo said she was a mother of two, had one grandchild and another on the way, who she will never meet.

Three pit bulls, now quarantined at the local animal shelter, mauled Salcedo to death while she was taking a stroll Easter Sunday afternoon, police said.

Residents said the attack could be heard throughout the entire neighborhood.

“Blood curdling scream,? Linda Roth, who lives nearby, said. ?It raised the hair on the back of my neck.”

The dogs? vicious bark is just as bad as their deadly bite.

“She was screaming, help me, help me, help me, somebody help me,? Laura Russell, who saw the attack from her front yard, said.

Russell said she saw the pack of pit bulls violently attacking Salcedo in the intersection and immediately called police.

“She was like a rag doll to them,? Russell said. ?She didn’t even have a chance.”

Officers arrived within minutes, Russell said.

“The first thing I saw was the female subject lying on the roadway with four of these dogs surrounding her, literally on top of her, ripping chunks of flesh from her,” Officer James Harrington said.

Harrington said he fired a round of gunshots into the air, trying to scare off the dogs, but it wasn?t enough.

“They weren’t phased by the gunshots, and when one of them looked at me and saw me advancing on their position, he charged me,” Harrington said.

That is when Harrington said he shot and killed one of the four. The other three ran off.

“It’s not the dog, it’s the owner,” Roth said.

Police said the owners, who live no more than a hundred yards from where the attack happened, were not home Sunday when the dogs escaped. Same story when ABC-7 stopped by Tuesday afternoon.

“Nobody deserves this, least of all Margaret,? Patricia Vores, who is the landlord at the RV park where Margaret lived, said.

Vores said she will always remember Salcedo for her warm, giving heart.

“I’m a better person for having known Margaret for the short time that I did,” Vores said.

A decision to possibly euthanize the dogs will be made after the investigation is complete, police said.

New Mexico State Police, who are now handling the investigation, are also working with the district attorney?s office to determine if the pit bulls? owners will be charged, police said.