Pitbull Attacks Hoboken Residents

Hoboken police shot and killed a pit bull that had mauled its owner and two other people in the lobby of a luxury Hoboken high rise late Thursday.

Officers received a call about 11:45 p.m. Thursday night to 1 Independence Court. When they got to the scene, they found a 42-year-old male resident of the building being treated by EMS personnel for severe bites to his ankle.

Police observed an unleashed pit bull in the building's lobby, but moments later, a second pit bull appeared with blood on its mouth and body, officers said.

"It was chaos," said Police Captain Anthony Romano, who responded to the call.

The doorman who was working during the attack was back on duty on Friday afternoon, standing at the buildings sliding doors, but declined to comment.

After police rescued the owner from her violent pit bull, the dog turned on an officer, Romano said. Hoboken Police Sergeant Edmund Drishti was forced to shoot the dog. The dog was killed with a single shot to the head, police said. 

According to Lt. Mark Competello of the Hoboken Police Department, it was "based on the totality of the circumstances and the immediate danger to both officers," that the officer decided to shoot and kill the dog. The second pit bull was tranquilized by the officers.

"There was no other alternative available but to terminate this violent pit bull, who had seriously injured three people," said Police Chief Anthony Falco. 

Officers tried to secure the lobby, but that was made difficult by two doors that opened automatically, at one point allowing both dogs to leave the building, although they then ran back inside.

Moments later, officers said, the pit bull's owner, a 26-year-old female Hoboken resident, appeared near the lobby. Despite repeated warnings by police not to enter the lobby or apartment, the woman entered her apartment, officers said. She was then bitten and mauled repeatedly in her legs by her pit bull, "Giant," causing massive trauma and blood loss, police said.

Hoboken officers said they and Port Authority personnel then entered the woman's apartment through a window to drag her to safety and barricade the dog with furniture.

At this point another woman, a 41-year-old Hoboken resident, arrived and entered the apartment, despite police warnings not to do so, officers said. The woman screamed, officers said, and the pit bull became loose and immediately mauled her, causing serious injury to her legs as police again beat the pit bull off of the victim. She was also rushed to the hospital where she required emergency surgery for her injuries.

The second pit bull, which apparently did not injure or bite anyone, was snared and tranquilized by the Port Authority officers. This dog, whose owner is unknown, died also, according to the Humane Society.

Julissa Delgado, a resident of 1 Independence Court, had heard about the attack and said that while she was sad the dogs had been killed, she felt relieved the dogs were out of the building, because she has two small children.

"I mean, come on, who has two pitbulls in an apartment building with no back yard," she said. She said she doesn't know the owners of the dog. 

"It was a sad, tragic situation," said police captain Romano.

The three victims were taken to Jersey City Medical Center, said Romano, and they are currently in stable condition.