A memorial service will be held Thursday for a postal worker who may have died after being attacked by a dog.
Postal officials said it appears a dog lunged at 33-year old Eddie Lin while he was delivering mail on Stanley Street in Oceanside on May 25, causing Lin to hit his head on the ground. Lin, a father of three, died ten days after the attack.
The daughter of the dog's owner, who identified herself as Eva, said the incident has devastated her father.
"We feel really bad," Eva told NBCSanDiego. "It's just killing my Dad."
The Rottweiler, named Brutus, was about three and a half years old, according to Eva. "We never had one problem with it, never showed one aggressive sign or anything." After the incident, the family asked the San Diego County Humane Society to euthanize the dog.
Lin was delivering the mail around 4:30 p.m. when Brutus escaped out the front door of his home and headed for Lin.
"We heard screaming," said neighbor Georgia Mitsopoulos whose gardner saw what happened. "He said the dog ran across the street and the next thing he knew the mailman was on the ground."
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Another neighbor also rushed outside and found Lin lying in the street dazed and drifting in and out of consciousness.
"The dog was standing a few feet from him and the owner ran outside and put him back in the house," said a witness who didn't want to be identified.
Lin was taken to Tri-City Medical Center and placed in an induced coma, according to his widow Teri. "He had a severe head injury, he had a black eye."
Teri Lin said her husband also had scratches on his back and his shirt was ripped in the same area.
Eddie Lin died from his injuries on June 3. He had three children, ages 10 years old to five months old.
The case is being investigated by Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
The service is being held at the Calvary Chapel of Oceanside. In lieu of flowers, the family requests all gifts are made to: the Teri Lin Living Trust. Please reference acct. # 2959515830 at any Chase bank.
