HOLLAND, Mich. (WZZM)- A Holland woman has an
unlikely hero to thank after breaking up a domestic fight.
The 32-year-old's estranged
husband beat her and attempted to abduct her from her safe house in
Holland.
The plan was foiled
thanks to a dog which usually gets a bad rap.
The fight between Steven
Schumacher, 33, and his wife was very public. Witnesses say he beat
and dragged his wife across the street, attempting to get her into
his vehicle.
But the fact
the fight was public may have helped. That's how Blitz saw the events unfolding from his
window, and 'blitzed' to the rescue.
Judging by his barking through the window, we're
presuming Blitz is no fan of cameras.
Blitz is a two-year-old, hundred and something pound
pit bull; yes, the kind many fear.
"He'll protect us when we need it," says his owner.
"But he's a great house pet, he's great with my kids, he's
wonderful."
Due to the
nature of this tale Blitz's owner does not want to be known.
She says close to 11:00p.m.
Wednesday she heard screams for help.
"It's still surreal," she says. "I haven't even
slept yet, (I'm) still kind of shaken about what could have happened
to her."
She saw Schumacher
beating and dragging his estranged wife.
"(I was) scared of what could have happened to her,
because he was close to getting her in his car."
Blitz saw it too.
"He about knocked me out of the
door to get to them. I heard her screaming, 'help me', repeatedly
and I came out my front door and my dog spilled past me and went and
scared him a little bit."
She says he never bit anyone, but scared Schumacher
just enough that he loosened his grip on his wife, who then ran
inside Blitz's home and waited for police.
"He was still in the area, I believe in the front
yard of the residence," says Captain Rick Walters of the Holland
Police Department. "He was taken into custody without incident."
Walters isn't sure how long the
couple had been separated, but says they were living apart.
"He went to that residence,
broke into that residence and then confronted her and assaulted her
in that residence," says Walters.
What Schumacher's intentions were are still not
known.
Police say they did
find a knife in Schumacher's pocket but do not think it was used
during the attack.
What is
known though is the dog many fear, saw fear, and became a hero.
"It's hard to tell what may or
may not have happened if not for that dog," says Walters.
"I'm very proud of him," chimed
in his owner. "He would never do anything unless the situation was
like that when he feels that we're in danger."
Anyone with more information is
asked to call Holland Police or Silent Observer at (616) 355-1150.
Nick Monacelli
