GEORGIA — A 78-year-old man is dead and a woman is seriously injured following a violent dog attack early Monday in Townsend, according to the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to a home on Winnie Davis Court after a caller reported that she and a man were being attacked by two dogs inside the residence. When deputies and medical personnel arrived, they found the woman severely injured and the man dead upstairs.
The victim was identified as Walter Anthony Sterno, 78, originally from Richmond Hill. The woman was taken to Brunswick for emergency treatment.
McIntosh County Animal Control officers safely secured both dogs from inside the home. The animals were later euthanized off-site, officials said.
The Sheriff’s Office said investigators are working to determine what led to the deadly attack. The Atlantic Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office is assisting in reviewing whether criminal charges will be filed.
“The Sheriff’s Office is working with other county agencies to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation,” the department said in a news release. Sheriff Thornell “T.K.” King offered condolences to Sterno’s family and prayers for the woman’s recovery.
