Bat-Wielding Man Saves Girl From Pit Bull Attack In Troy Hill

PITTSBURGH,None — An 11-year-old girl was in good condition Thursday night after she was attacked by a pit bull in a Troy Hill cemetery.

Neighbors along Lowrie Street said the girl was riding her bike in a cemetery when the dog jumped and attacked her.

Rich Colerich saw the attack, ran to a friend's house and grabbed a baseball bat to help rescue the girl.

"The first swing, I swung at it and it dropped the little girl," Colerich said. "It had her, you know, it had her head, and it was swinging her. Her arms were flailing around. And it dropped her as soon as I swung. When it let go of her, I stood on top of her and swung again, and it kept backing up. So every time I swung, it backed up."

The girl's father told Channel 11 News her vision will not be affected, which was a large concern for doctors on Thursday.

The dog's owner, Paul Harris, was not home at the time of the attack. He said he had the animal for more than three years, and wasn't certain about what may have set the dog off. The dog, coincidentally named Pain, was not chained at the time, Harris said.

"I wish it was chained. My main concern is for girl's health and condition," said Harris.

Police said the girl suffered severe injuries to her face, ears and head.

Harris paid animal control officers to put the dog down.

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