8-year-old mauled by dog while walking to school in San Bernardino

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- An 8-year-old girl was walking to school in San Bernardino when a neighborhood pit bull snuck up and mauled her on the face and body.

Gabriella Jones was bitten on the face, her left hand and left leg after a pit bull went on the attack on Wednesday.

"It was really scary, that's what I was thinking, I thought I was going to die," said Gabriella.

Surveillance video shows the dog first snaps at the second-grader, then the animal grabs a hold of her, refusing to let go.

"He just dragged me by my hand and got me on the ground and started biting me," she said.

After more than 10 seconds, neighbors run out to help, including a man who lives across the street. He kicks the dog hard, until the pit bull lets her go and runs away.

"If it wasn't for him, my daughter wouldn't be here. I lost a daughter 13 years ago, and it brings back a lot of emotions," said Rebecca Patino, the child's mother. "I know God doesn't give you more than you can handle, and God knows I couldn't bury another child. But 20 seconds later, she would have been done."

A lot of dogs were seen in the same San Bernardino neighborhood, some of them loose on the street.

Gabriella was, once again, heading to the plastic surgeon on Friday and said she had a message for animal owners: "I just want to say you should always keep your dog inside ... it's really important because you can hurt others by letting your dog go out."