A Tampa woman says her dog saved her life after a violent home invasion Tuesday night.
Mersadie Wells-Shahan, 19, said five men were walking near her home on Polak Drive shortly after 11 p.m. Her boyfriend, Damien Strickland, was outside. Strickland told deputies the men walked toward him and pistol whipped him before going into the home.
Strickland told investigators the men then dragged him into his home where a fight started.
Wells-Shahan says she was dragged to the ground as her Bullmastiff mix named Legend bit the attackers. Investigators say the men shot Legend twice.
"That dog saved my life," she said.
She believes the men could have been after expensive lawn equipment in her yard.
Michael Jovahnny Rivera, 24, of Tampa, was arrested and charged with battery with a deadly weapon, robbery home invasion, and aggravated cruelty to animals. Four other men are still on the loose.
Deputies located a .40 caliber Taurus firearm, ammunition, and duct tape near the home where the deputies saw the suspects.
Strickland was taken to a local hospital for treatment for lacerations on his head and back.
Legend was taken to a veterinary for treatment and is expected to survive.