Probe after body found near horrific mauling of real estate agent
Queensland Police said a body was found in bushland metres from where a prominent real estate agent was viciously mauled by two dogs on Friday.
A prominent real estate agent has been identified as the victim of a horrific attack by two dogs that left him fighting for life.
Ajay Malik has been named by the Seven Network and News Corp as the runner viciously mauled by two dogs in Brisbane’s north while on an evening run last Friday.
The dogs – which have since been captured by police and face euthanising – attacked Malik as he ran on the bikeway that cuts through Seventh Brigade Park on Kittyhawk Drive in the suburb of in Chermside on Friday about 6.15pm.
“There are no ongoing safety concerns for the public,” Queensland Police said at the weekend.
Malik was taken to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in a critical condition.
By Sunday night, he was said to be in a stable condition. He remained in hospital, with injuries to his face and both arms.
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Malik is one of the directors of a Brisbane real estate agency.
His wife told Seven they were shocked and traumatised by the attack. She said her husband faced a long road to recovery.
In a bizarre twist, the extensive search for the dogs after Malik’s mauling led to the discovery of another man’s body in the same park.
Queensland Police said on Sunday the body of a 48-year-old man was found in bushland about 100 metres from the footpath along Kittyhawk Drive just before midday (local time).
He was identified as a local man, with investigations into the circumstances surrounding his death continuing.
However, the Courier-Mail reports police do not believe the two incidents – which happened just metres from each other – were linked.
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The two dogs behind Friday’s vicious mauling. Photo: Nine Network
Meanwhile, the owner of the dogs, Layla Evans, was arrested for an unrelated matter shortly after Malik was attacked.
Seven reports that Evans, who is homeless, said she had been living in a tent at the park. The dogs had escaped from the tent.
One was captured two hours after the attack on Malik. The second dog was not captured until Saturday, with local runners initially warned to be wary of a dangerous dog still on the loose.
Both dogs were shot by police while being captured. They survived and were treated by a vet before being surrendered to Brisbane City Council.
Evans told News Corp she was devastated at what had happened. She said the dogs – one an American Staffordshire terrier bulldog cross and the other a bulldog-boxer-cross – had kept her safe as a homeless person.
She said she intentionally hid her camp deep within bush in the park for her own safety and to reduce the likelihood of her dogs having contact with passersby.
“I don’t want anyone to get hurt; I always tell my dogs off if they ever show any signs of aggression – they’re just protective,” she said.
She has 14 days to appeal orders to euthanise the dogs.
“I’m thinking about appealing it but I haven’t even looked at the paperwork and I don’t know if I’ve got the money for this stuff,” Evans said.
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