Willie Mundine: Indiana man brutally mauled to death by dogs in a bid to save his wife and granddaughter

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA: Willie Mundine, an 85-year-old pastor and grandfather, was fatally attacked by two dogs in his backyard on Tuesday morning, January 30, police said.

Mundine died at a hospital hours later from his injuries as the dogs that attacked him were captured. One was shot at the scene but is expected to live. 

Family witnesses horrific dog attack that killed Willie Mundine

Mundine’s wife, Betty, and granddaughter, Holly Watkins, witnessed the terrifying incident which occurred in the 2300 block of North Kenyon Street near East 21st Street and North Arlington Avenue, shortly before 10 am on January 30.

According to WTHR, Betty and Watkins were in the backyard. Betty was the first target of the dogs, but she managed to run into the house. Mundine came out to try to scare them away, but they turned on him instead.

“My granddaddy came out to try to shoo them away, and two pit bulls, I guess, they attacked him,” Watkins said.

“It was just horrifying, scary. I’ve never seen him like that,” Watkins said, adding “I will never forget those cries.”

Watkins told WRTV, “We ran and he couldn’t get in fast enough so we just heard him screaming and we went back there and they were attacking him.”

Officers found Mundine with multiple dog bites and transported him to a hospital in critical condition, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said.

Willie Mundine is remembered as a hero and a blessing

Willie Mundine served as a pastor at the Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church along with his wife, WRTV reported.

His family and friends remembered him as a hero and a blessing. “I say he saved my life,” Betty said, adding “He was a hero.”

“Thank God for him. He lived to be 85 years old,” Betty said, adding “He’s been blessed. He is going to be missed.”

“My mother is distraught,” said Melissa Mundine, Willie’s daughter.

Loose dogs pose a threat to the neighborhood

According to animal control officers on the scene, this wasn’t the first dog attack in the neighborhood this week.

IACS officers had gotten a call about a dog bite on Monday just one street over. Watkins said she had heard about problems with loose dogs in the neighborhood recently according to FOX 59

”A few people today said things like this has happened,” Watkins told the outlet, adding “Somebody around the corner had said the dogs were chasing their kids off the bus stop.”

The dogs involved in the attack were captured, one among shot at the scene which, as per officials, will live, and taken to the IACS shelter where they will be evaluated and possibly euthanized, WTHR said.