Patricia Masithela, a 27-year-old Nigerian woman, died after being mauled by a pack of starving dogs in Latina, Italy.
The incident occurred late Monday night while Patricia was visiting a male acquaintance at his abandoned villa in the Lazio region, according to Mirror UK.
Her screams filled the night, alerting neighbours to the savage attack.
Patricia, who had recently arrived in Lazio from Nigeria, apparently went to the residence without realising her companion was not there.
She was found seriously injured, lying in a pool of blood with deep wounds on her body, following the attack.
The police, however, intervened, “shooting two of the dogs to allow emergency responders to access the scene, while the rest of the pack fled after the gunfire.”
Emergency medics treated Patricia immediately and brought her to Santa Maria Goretti Hospital, but she died as a result of her serious injuries and blood loss.
Despite their best efforts to save her, she died from serious bite wounds and massive bleeding.
Patricia, a dedicated mother of a five-year-old girl, has left her family and friends in indescribable anguish, according to Mirror UK.
According to reports, investigations into the incident are still ongoing as local authorities try to figure out how the supposedly starved dogs ended up in the region.
The tragedy, however, has spurred debate over stray animals and public safety, with neighbours advocating for tighter steps to prevent similar tragic events.
