A devastating incident occurred late Monday night in Latina, Italy, resulting in the tragic death of a 27-year-old Nigerian woman, Patricia Masithela.
The event happened when Masithela visited an abandoned villa in the Lazio region, believing a friend was in residence. However, upon arrival, she was confronted by a pack of starving dogs.
Neighbours were alerted to the scene by Masithela's terrified screams as the dogs launched a vicious attack. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, discovering Masithela critically injured and lying in a pool of blood with severe bite wounds.
To ensure the safety of emergency personnel, police intervened, shooting two of the dogs. The remaining pack fled the area.
Despite receiving immediate medical attention and being transported to Santa Maria Goretti Hospital, Masithela succumbed to her injuries and blood loss.
Her tragic death has left her family and friends in shock, particularly her five-year-old daughter, who has been left without a mother.
Local authorities have initiated an investigation into the incident to determine how the starving dogs came to be in the area.
The attack has sparked widespread concern among the public regarding the issue of stray animals and the need for measures to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.
Patricia, originally from Nigeria, was a mother to a five-year-old daughter and worked as a barista in the local area. She is survived by a brother and sister, who also live in the region.
It is believed that Patricia had previously been in a relationship with the 40-year-old man who owned the abandoned villa, though he was not present at the time of the attack.
The villa, described by police as neglected and uninhabitable, has been seized by authorities as part of their investigation. It was revealed that the dogs involved in the attack were severely malnourished.
Two of the animals had not been microchipped, and reports suggest they had a history of aggressive behaviour.