A mother in Nebraska attempted to conceal her bloodied clothes after her disabled daughter was viciously attacked by her boyfriend’s large dog. She remains in custody, arrested for obstruction along with her partner.
The 4-year-old girl, Lillianna, suffered horrifying injuries, including her scalp being torn from her head, when the Cane Corso mastiff mix bit her on Feb. 20, shortly after 2 p.m.
Her family reports that she is out of intensive care but faces a long road to recovery.
Omaha police stated that the mother, Danielle Stratman, 25, tried to divert attention away from the incident by changing out of her blood-soaked clothes and hiding them under a bed when officers responded to a call about a child bitten by a dog, as reported by KETV.
The dog, belonging to Stratman’s boyfriend, Greg Preister, 42, was eventually found by animal control and voluntarily surrendered. It was euthanized by the Nebraska Humane Society due to the severity of the injuries inflicted on Lillianna.
A GoFundMe campaign was launched by Lillianna’s great-aunt Kimberly Lane Koterba to help with the family’s extensive medical expenses.
“Lillianna is 4 years old and her scalp was torn off, her cheekbone was broken, she has torn ligaments in her neck and stitches all over her body,” the fundraiser description reads in part.
“She is now out of ICU but will possibly [be] having another surgery later this week. Many more to follow. She’s also going to need therapy for the trauma.”
Koterba also mentioned that Lillianna was born with spina bifida, a birth defect affecting spinal cord development.
As of Sunday afternoon, the GoFundMe had raised nearly $8,000.
Both Stratman and Preister were arrested for obstruction. Stratman had a no-contact order in place following a previous arrest for child abuse and domestic assault last month.
Preister, with at least two theft convictions dating back to 2006 according to public records, was also cited for harboring a dangerous dog and pet damaging property.
Stratman is currently in custody at Douglas County Correctional Center on a $150,000 bond. Preister’s bail status was not immediately available.
It is unclear if either has retained legal representation. Omaha police did not respond to requests for comment as of Sunday.
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