A Nebraska mother tried to hide her bloody clothes after her disabled daughter was viciously attacked by her boyfriend’s large-breed dog — and remains in custody after being arrested for obstruction along with her beau.
Lillianna, 4, suffered grisly injuries that included her scalp being torn from her head when the Cane Corso Mastiff mix bit her shortly after 2 p.m. on Feb. 20. Her family has said she’s now out of intensive care but faces a lengthy road to recovery.
Omaha Police said the girl’s mother, Danielle Stratman, 25, attempted to divert attention away from what had happened 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, KETV reported.
Animal control eventually found the dog, which belonged to Stratman’s boyfriend, Greg Preister, 42. The dog was voluntarily surrendered before being euthanized by the Nebraska Humane Society.
“We immediately euthanized the dog and sent the tissue out for testing due to the severity of the injuries and where they were located,” Pam Wiese with NHS told the station. “It needs to be expedited because the injuries were very close to the brain.”
A GoFundMe was launched by Lillianna’s great-aunt Kimberly Lane Koterba to help the family cover their extensive medical bills.
“She 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 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 noted that Lillianna was born with spina bifida, a birth defect that affects spinal cord development.
As of Sunday afternoon, the GoFundMe had raised nearly $8,000.
Stratman and Preister were both arrested for obstruction. Police said Stratman had a judge-mandated no-contact order in place prohibiting her from seeing her daughter following an arrest for child abuse and domestic assault last month.
Preister, who public records show has at least two theft convictions dating back to 2006, was additionally cited for harboring a dangerous dog and pet damaging property.
Stratman remains in custody at Douglas County Correctional Center on a $150,000 bond. Preister’s bail status could not be immediately determined.
It was not known if either had retained attorneys. Omaha Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.
