Beloved grandmother, 71, suffers horrific death after being yanked off her bike by notorious pit bull and savagely mauled

A 71-year-old grandma has been killed by a pit bull which yanked her disconnected her bicycle and mauled her to death.

Karen Nelson, a euphony coach from Florence, South Carolina, suffered 'severe injuries from a canine bite' successful nan metropolis Friday. 

The beast knocked her from her bicycle arsenic she rode home, earlier causing aggregate traumatic injuries including a spread successful her neck, officials said.

Locals told ABC15 nan pit bull was known for causing chaos successful nan area. It would often pursuit group arsenic they were walking, riding play carts aliases moreover driving. 

One man added that he often saw nan dog's proprietor struggling to power nan animal while it was connected nan leash. 

Florence Police Department said they did not person immoderate reports aliases complaints astir nan canine anterior to Nelson's death. 

Captain Stephen Starling from nan section said officers are investigating nan incident and determining whether immoderate charges will beryllium filed. 

Police said nan owners of nan pit bull, who person not been named, person agreed to person it euthanized. 

Starling told ABC15 that officers are moving to find whether nan proprietor was pinch nan canine astatine nan clip of nan attack, and whether it collapsed free from its leash. 

'It is nan owners work to support power of nan dog,' he told nan outlet. 

'If you person it connected a leash and you're doing everything you can. And nan canine gets away. Maybe a leash breaks, who knows. 

'Things for illustration that to happen. But, astatine nan extremity of nan day, it's still yet your power and your responsibility.' 

Nelson's adjacent friend, Mary Crouch, remembered her arsenic 'one of nan champion group I ever knew'. 

'She ever made you consciousness good. She was conscionable a phenomenal person. And it was conscionable a horrible point that happened,' Crouch told ABC15. 

Nelson's son-in-law William Crawford described her arsenic 'a loving mother, grandmother' and 'an incredibly talented and beloved euphony teacher'. 

'Karen was incredibly progressive successful nan religion present successful Florence. With her different groups pinch pickleball and cycling. Had a immense group of friends,' he added. 

Under South Carolina law, canine owners are liable for immoderate harm caused by their animal successful a nationalist spot aliases if nan unfortunate is lawfully connected their property. 

If recovered liable, they tin look jailhouse time. 

The only objection is if a unfortunate attacked aliases provoked nan canine anterior to nan incident.