A Florida dog owner allegedly tried to fake a medical emergency while police were arresting her after authorities say her two dogs brutally mauled a woman to death in front of her horrified husband.
Linda Cutler, 29, is now facing a manslaughter charge after her mixed-breed dogs, Max and Mako, allegedly escaped from her property and attacked 50-year-old Jodi Cowan in Cocoa, Florida, in the early morning hours of May 19.
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said Cutler “feigned having a heart attack” as officers took her into custody Wednesday near a Hilton hotel in Melbourne, a beachside city on Florida’s Space Coast.
The arrest came about a week after Cowan’s final walk turned into a nightmare.
According to authorities, Cutler’s dogs climbed over a fence just before 2 a.m., went after Cowan, forced her to the ground, and dragged her across the ground as they attacked.
Cowan’s husband, Donnell Smith, tried desperately to save her. He reportedly swung a knife at the animals in an attempt to drive them away, but the attack had already turned catastrophic.
Moments after the mauling, Cowan managed to call 911.
“I’m dying, can’t breathe,” she said, according to audio obtained by Florida Today.
Cowan later died from her injuries.
Smith told WESH the horror of watching his wife attacked is something he will never forget.
“It was brutal,” he said. “Seeing the same woman I’ve loved for the last 25, 30 years just ripped apart by two animals was just … I’ll never get that image out of my mind.”
Cutler was not immediately arrested after the deadly attack. Authorities said she was later taken into custody when deputies responded to an unrelated disturbance near the hotel in Melbourne.
As officers escorted her away, Sheriff Ivey delivered a blunt message.
“Hope you enjoyed your time at the beach because you’re not going to be going back,” he said.
Cutler appeared confused and asked, “What is the purpose of that?”
The sheriff fired back, “A woman is dead and two dogs are about to be euthanized because of your uselessness.”
Authorities said Cutler knew her dogs had escaped before but failed to strengthen her fence. Investigators also said one of her neighbors had previously been bitten by her other dogs, though that person did not cooperate with law enforcement at the time, WFLA reported.
“They were always on the loose,” neighbor Dominica Midkiff told Florida Today.
Officials said previous incidents did not meet the legal threshold that would have allowed authorities to seize the animals earlier.
Now, two dogs are set to be euthanized, Cowan’s family is grieving an unimaginable loss, and Cutler is facing the possibility of prison time.
If convicted of manslaughter, Cutler could face up to 15 years behind bars.
Her arraignment is scheduled for June 23.
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One may find a photo of the dogs in other media sites. In case anyone is wondering what type of dog (here they are only referred to as “mixed-breed”) they are, both are gray pit bulls.