St. Pete woman viciously attacked by pit bull

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A St. Petersburg woman is recovering at Bayfront Medical Center after suffering a vicious pit bull attack on Wednesday.

The victim, 54-year-old Arkies Thomas, was visiting a home at 3751 1st Avenue South when a one-year-old pit bull violently bit her arms and face, leaving her with severe wounds.

Prior to the attack, the dog was chained and Edra Morgan, a relative of Thomas who lives at the home, met Thomas in an alley to avoid contact with the animal.

At one point, the pitbull broke its chain and ran around the side of the house and lunged at Thomas. Morgan hit the dog in the head with a brick and another man managed to lock the animal in a nearby shed.

Thomas suffered a massive bite wound to her lower face and wounds to her right arm and ankle.

The dog's owner, Joseph Bethune, Jr. arrived at the scene and signed over the pitbull to Animal Control.

The attack happened at the same home where a pit bull had been shot while a warrant was being served three months ago.