Troup County man charged in deadly dog attack in LaGrange

LaGRANGE, Ga. -  A Troup County man is facing charges after authorities say two dogs fatally mauled a woman in LaGrange earlier this month.

The backstory:

Theresa Patterson died after being attacked on July 11 while walking near Swanson and Juniper Streets. The man believed to own the dogs, Derrick Parker, turned himself in earlier this week. He is now being held at the Troup County Jail on charges including involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct.

What they're saying:

Patterson's daughter, Tiffany Patterson, is demanding accountability.

"That's a tragic death. She didn’t have to leave this world like that," Tiffany said.

She described her mother as someone who had long been afraid of dogs.

"If anything, she would tell them, ‘Can you get them dogs away from me? I don’t like dogs,’" she said.

Tiffany said she was at work when she got the call from her son with the devastating news. She quickly picked up her sister, Sherika, and rushed to the hospital.

"I said, ‘I got to go, I got an emergency,’" she recalled. Their mother died shortly after they arrived.

"I didn’t have no words," she said.

Tiffany remembered her mother as a generous and caring woman who often went out of her way to help others.

"She was a loving person," she said. "She would feed you if you needed it."

Parker turned himself in nearly two weeks after the attack. Tiffany says she is relieved he’s in custody.

"I’m glad he’s behind bars, ‘cause I want justice," she said. "Why weren’t they secured? I think he should be held responsible."