Nationwide — Doreen Broadbelt, a 71-year-old African American woman from Miami Gardens, Florida, was found dead Monday morning after police said she was mauled by dogs while walking to work. She suffered severe injuries near her neighborhood and could not be revived.
According to WSVN, officers responded to calls around 7:40 a.m. in the area of Northwest 196th Terrace and 14th Court, near Hard Rock Stadium. Broadbelt was discovered unresponsive on the ground beside a trailer, with what appeared to be multiple dog bite wounds. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.
Family members said Broadbelt was on her way to her Walmart job when the attack happened. They shared that she often complained about aggressive dogs in the neighborhood and carried a stick for protection.
“They always attacking her. I even got her a stick,” said her daughter, Lateisha Wilkinson.
Her husband, Donovan Broadbelt, remembered her as a caring woman who had been his partner for 20 years. “She cared for our family a lot. She cares for those who are in need, whether it’s at work or anywhere,” he said.
Her family later returned to the site of the attack to lay flowers in her memory. Wilkinson said the loss has left her devastated. “Don’t know where to start, don’t know what to say, I don’t know what to do.”
Animal control officials recently collected DNA samples from dogs in the neighborhood, though no further updates were provided. The incident has left local residents shaken.
“It’s upsetting. You never think this is going to happen,” said neighbor Anthony Vincent Varone. “She lived her whole life, and then this happened to her. It’s sad, man.”