Police: Woman reports being attacked with shovel, knife after family dog dies

Police are looking for a man who they say attacked his wife with the shovel he used to bury the family dog Saturday.

The reported assault occurred Saturday in the 1000 block of East 57th Street North, Lt. James Espinoza said. That’s northeast of Seneca and 53rd Street North.

The family’s dog died on Friday, and when the woman attempted to bury it the next day the man became angry. He blamed her for the dog’s death and accused her of not digging the hole deep enough for the burial on their property, Espinoza said. After he had finished burying the dog, he reportedly struck her multiple times with the shovel.

About three hours later, Espinoza said, the man stabbed his wife several times with a knife, accusing her of talking to another man. She suffered several lacerations.

Police were sent to the address over the weekend, Espinoza said, but the victim “was not honest with the officers” about what had happened.

She finally told them what had happened, Espinoza said, when officers were sent on Tuesday to check on the welfare of several children living there.

Four of the six children who live there – ages 12, 4, 3 and 1 – were placed in protective custody, Espinoza said. The husband was not at home when the officers arrived to check on the family.

This story was originally published December 9, 2015 at 2:20 PM with the headline "Police: Woman reports being attacked with shovel, knife after family dog dies."