SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. — A Cochise County grand jury has indicted two women for their alleged involvement in a dog attack that killed an elderly woman earlier this summer.
Shimira Sanches, 43, and Ashlee Sanches, 35, are facing charges of manslaughter, assault by a vicious animal, negligent homicide, and an aggressive dog violation, according to the Sierra Vista Police Department.
The charges are in relation to a fatal dog attack that occurred on June 23 in the Calle Del Norte area, police said. When officers first arrived at the scene, they found a dog attacking a man in the backyard of a local residence. Officers dispatched the dog and began treating the wounded man.
Police later found 84-year-old Helene Jackson in an ally behind the residence. Jackson's dog was found deceased next to her.
Another dog at the scene was dispatched by officers.
Jackson was taken to the hospital and the Sierra Vista resident died from her injuries. The other wounded individual was taken to a Tucson hospital and was treated for critical injuries, police said.
The three deceased dogs were secured by the Sierra Vista Police Department’s Animal Control Office shortly after the attack.
According to Jackson's obituary, the 84-year-old and her husband were active in Cochise County politics. She loved learning about astronomy, watching documentaries, and caring for her dogs.
"She loved walking twice every day in Sierra Vista with her last dog, Lily," Jackson's obituary in the Herald Review states. "Helene will be remembered for her enthusiasm for life, her diligence for righting wrongs and her beautiful smile."
The two defendants are due to appear in Cochise County Superior Court on Sept. 5.