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'We didn't get to say goodbye': Family of Phoenix grandmother mauled to death by dogs says she was chased by them before

77-year-old Maria Eliza Sebastian Ruiz was mauled to death when four dogs attacked her on Tuesday. The dogs were euthanized hours later.

PHOENIX — Maria Eliza Sebastian Ruiz was known as the tiny lady on the block.

She was 77 years old. She lived with her husband of 60 years and one of her five children.

Every morning, after cleaning her house in South Phoenix, she would sit on her front porch to get fresh air.

On Tuesday, that everyday task turned deadly.

The grandmother was viciously mauled and killed by four Staffordshire terrier mix dogs that had escaped a neighbor’s house.

RELATED: 77-year-old woman mauled to death by dogs in Phoenix; dog owner arrested

Sebastian Ruiz’s family said that those same animals had chased her in February of last year when she was walking on the sidewalk. She was on her way to visit one of her sons who lives a couple of houses down the block.

The family said they were able to prevent that attack, but unfortunately, the animals struck again on Tuesday when the grandmother was home alone shortly after 7 a.m.

“It’s a tragedy what we are going through,” said Refugia Alonzo, one of Sebastian Ruiz’s daughters, with tears rolling down her face. “It makes me very sad that my mom died in that tragedy, how it happened.”

Alonzo said that her mother was a loving person, always willing to help others, even when her frail body wouldn’t permit her. Not being there for her mother during this tragic incident, taunts her.

“We never expected that my mom would leave us that way, it’s too painful, we didn’t get to say goodbye,” Alonzo said.

Phoenix police arrested the dog’s owner, 33-year-old Alejandro Hernandez. He is facing negligent homicide.

Authorities said that the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control had been to Hernandez’s home at least twice in the past. He was also instructed on at least one occasion to fix a gate to keep the dogs secured, but that didn’t happen.

A neighbor who did not want to be identified said the same four dogs attacked him two months ago. He still had visible marks on his arm from the incident.

During an interview with detectives, Hernandez allegedly told them the dogs had escaped multiple times in the past, and that they had gone after and bitten neighbors.

After Tuesday’s brutal attack on Sebastian Ruiz, MCACC captured and took custody of the dogs. They were later euthanized. Their bodies were sent to the state lab for rabies testing, a spokesperson from the agency said.

“She was a loving grandma, she was so sweet,” said Eliza Alonzo, one of the victim’s grandchildren. “We just have no words to say, this happened out of nowhere.”

Eliza Alonzo was named after her grandmother, she admitted she wasn’t a big fan of the name growing up, but now, the five-letter word has taken up a new meaning.

“It will be something that we will remember my grandmother for, her memories and her name,” she said.

Eliza Alonzo said she grew up knowing Hernandez and his family. She even went to school with him, but they weren’t friends.

She doesn’t know when Hernandez got the four dogs but said they were known to go up to people in the community when they would get out.

“We want him to pay for everything because it’s his fault,” Eliza Alonzo said. “They had hold him and he didn’t do anything about the dogs, he is responsible for her death.”

MCACC said because of the criminal investigation, they can’t release full details on how many incident reports they have on the four dogs involved. 12 News has requested the documents.

The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help with funeral expenses.

“It just hurts to hear that she passed away, it’s going to be so sad to come visit my grandpa and not see her here no more, it’s awful,” Eliza Alonzo said.

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