Man's best friend: Dog bites man's face, helps woman escape possible assault

A woman's dog helped her escape a bad situation when it bit a man's face when he tried to sexually assault her, police say.

On May 7, Fort Collins Police were dispatched to Lee Martinez Park in Colorado after a woman called 911 crying and demanding that a man get off of her, according to a post on the Fort Collins Police Services' Facebook.

"She fought him off for 20 minutes to prevent a sexual assault, aided by her dog who bit the male in the face," the post says.

The Dispatch Emergency Call Center determined her location, and when police arrived, she reported that the man who was walking behind her attempted to assault her.

Police then took the suspect, Seth Estabrooks, 39, into custody. Police said he is a "transient" man from Boulder, who had no prior relationship to the woman.

The suspect was processed and treated for the dog bites at UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital.

Estabrooks booked on felony charges

Police said Estabrooks was booked on the following charges:

• 2nd Degree Assault Strangulation - Class 4 Felony
• Unlawful Sexual Contact with Force or Threat - Class 4 Felony
• False imprisonment by Force - Class 5 Felony

"All charges are merely an accusation by law enforcement," the Facebook post states. "The suspect must be presumed innocent until proven guilty in court."

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz