Bristol County District Attorney’s Office identifies 86-year-old woman dead after dog attack

In an update, a woman has died after being seriously injured in a Bristol County dog attack. She has also been identified.

According to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, Dighton PD and EMS were dispatched to a home on Oak Street in Dighton at 2:00 pm on Saturday for a report of an elderly female who had sustained severe facial injuries. 

Police arrived and located an 86-year-old female who lived in the home with a family member.

 An initial investigation revealed that the elderly female, had been mauled by the family dog, identified as an Austrian Shepard mix.  The elderly female was med flighted from Dighton-Rehoboth High School for treatment of severe facial injuries and remains in critical condition. 

The canine is now in the custody of Dighton Animal Control. 

The victim has been identified as Margaret Pacheco of Dighton. She died on Monday. The DA’s Office states that Pacheco did have other significant medical issues prior to being injured, and the cause of death will be determined after an autopsy is performed by the Rhode Island Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The matter remains under investigation by the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office and the Dighton Police Department .