Authorities in Lawrence County said that an 83-year-old man was killed Sunday afternoon when two dogs attacked and mauled him to death.
Willard Norton was fatally mauled outside his home at around 3:30 p.m. He died from his injuries at a nearby hospital.
The two pitbulls involved in the deadly attack were reportedly owned by the victim’s neighbor.
Norton was known in his Town Creek community as the watermelon man for selling the fruits over the years.
Neighbors said that he loved his small garden like it was his baby. Norton’s grandson added that everybody liked the person he was.
Deputies said they received multiple reports from the neighborhood about dogs roaming free.
