OMAHA, NE – A four-year-old Omaha girl is on the road to recovery after enduring a violent dog attack last month, which resulted in harsh mutilations. According to the Omaha police report, Lillianna Stratman was assaulted by a dog on February 20th while she was staying with her mother. As a result of the attack, Lillianna had her scalp “torn off” and suffered from a multitude of injuries, such as a broken cheekbone, a neck with torn ligaments, and lacerations all over her body requiring multiple stitches.
Due to the child’s previous diagnosis of spina bifida, the family expects her to undergo numerous surgeries as part of her treatment protocol. The police report also revealed that the girl’s mother, 24-year-old Danielle Stratman, allegedly attempted to hide her blood-soaked clothes from the police at her boyfriend’s home and fled the scene. Emergency medical responders expedited Lillianna to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for immediate medical attention.
The dog, a crossbreed of Cane Corso and mastiff that Stratman’s boyfriend Greg Preister owned, was not at the attack scene when the police arrived. Following a search, Animal Control officials found the dog at Preister’s residence. The Nebraska Humane Society, where the dog was eventually taken, euthanized it and carried out a rabies test, which came back negative.
Stratman and Preister were later arrested on charges of obstruction, with additional charges placed against Stratman for breaching a no-contact order. She had previously been arrested on child abuse and domestic assault charges earlier that month. Preister was penalized for housing a dangerous dog and owning a pet that caused property damage. It remains uncertain whether either party has entered a plea for their charges.
Since the incident, Lilliana has been released from custody by her father. The community has rallied behind the young girl with an outpouring of support pouring into her GoFundMe page.