According to police, an 86-year-old grandmother was killed in a “vicious attack” by two dogs in Georgia.
On Wednesday, October 8, around 12:00 p.m. local time, emergency services were dispatched to a residence on Popular Lane in Baxley, where they discovered 86-year-old Maria Nunez deceased after sustaining “multiple injuries” in a dog attack, according to a news release shared on Facebook by the Appling County Sheriff’s Office.
Nunez’s body was taken to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Pooler for an autopsy. The sheriff’s office believes she was attacked the day before her body was discovered.
“The investigation has revealed Ms. Nunez was viciously attacked by two dogs,” Sheriff Melton stated in a news release from the Appling County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office has since secured the canines.
Sheriff Melton announced on Facebook on Friday, Oct. 10, that Misty Branch, 53, of Baxley, has been arrested and charged with reckless conduct and involuntary manslaughter in connection with Nunez’s death investigation.
Branch was Nunez’s neighbor and is believed to be the owner of the two dogs involved in the attack, according to Appling County Chief Deputy Gene Davis of WTOC.
Deputy Davis stated that security footage from the incident helped investigators identify and locate the two dogs involved in the attack.
“We do have a dog problem, just like every other county that does not have an animal control unit, but we are working with the board of commissioners to rectify the situation,” Davis told the news station.
The Appling County Sheriff’s Office and Coroner are conducting the ongoing investigation.
Nunez was born in Ahuijullo, Jalisco, Mexico, and worked as a midwife and co-founder of the family company, Nunez Pine Straw, according to her obituary. She is survived by her three daughters, all of whom live in Baxley, nine grandchildren, and sixteen great-grandchildren.
Sheriff Melton is urging anyone with any information about this case to contact then on 912-367-8120.
