Two pitbulls brutally attack Tampa woman

TAMPA - Three people have been arrested for animal cruelty after two of their allegedly trained pit bulls viciously attacked a 48-year-old North Tampa woman.

The attack happened as Vanessa Watts, a grandmother of 13 children and a caretaker of a two-year-old, pedaled down North 9th Street in Tampa Monday night.

"They grabbed me by this leg and I fell off the bike, and when I fell both of them just attacked me and bit me all up. My husband was still on the phone and all he could do was just hear me scream," said Watts.

"It was like they were hungry or something. They were tearing me apart."

She was eventually able to break free from the pair of white and gray pit bulls, but not before being injured.

Two passersby, who called 911, were able to help Watts get home.

Tampa Police arrested three neighbors, Demetrius Floyd and James and Lula Green, for animal cruelty. Officers said that they found six other dogs in their yard including a gray pit bull with a broken leg and a tan and cream pit bull mix with a torn ear.

Investigators are still trying to catch the two dogs that attacked Watts.

"They were used for bad behavior, possibly dog-fighting," said Dennis McCullough, a Field Operations Manager with Hillsborough Animal Control.

He says more charges could be filed against the dog owners.

Watts is back home with her family after a hospital visit. Despite being cut and bruised from 16 bites, the grandmother says she does have something to be thankful for --- the two-year-old she cares for was safe at home when the dogs attacked.

"If they would've got a hold of him," Watts said, sighing. "I don't know."