Boy, 12, mauled by pit bull in stable condition

June 13, 2011|By SILVIO J. PANTA | Imperial Valley Press Staff Writer

An El Centro boy who suffered severe dog bites remains hospitalized, and the pit bull mix that attacked him inside a Stacey Avenue home Saturday has been placed in the city animal shelter, an officer said Sunday.

The boy, 12, was listed in serious condition following the 7:42 p.m. dog mauling that occurred when the boy went to his neighbor’s home to retrieve a towel that had fallen into a backyard, said El Centro Police Officer Mike Boston.

Boston said he believes the boy was flown to Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego.

The boy spoke to his neighbor about getting the towel back and was allowed inside the home. Accompanied by the homeowner, the boy opened a sliding rear door and the dog lunged at him before he had a chance to step outside, Boston said. Boston declined to release the name of the dog owner.

The boy suffered a number of bites to the legs, arms and face as the neighbor tried pulling the dog off of him. The attempt failed as she kept lost her grip three times during the struggle, Boston said.

At some point, the neighbor’s husband jumped in and punched the dog an unknown number of times before it eventually got pulled off, Boston said. The dog was not believed to have been tethered to anything when the attack occurred, Boston said.

An El Centro police officer on patrol was flagged down and an on-call animal control officer was called to remove the animal, Boston said.

The boy, who authorities said was in stable condition at the time, was taken by ambulance to the parking lot at Imagine School of Imperial Valley where a helicopter landed to take him to the San Diego trauma center.

A log entry at the El Centro Police Department says the pit bull, which was described as vicious, was found not to have had rabies shots. The boy’s parents weren’t immediately contacted until authorities went to a location at Theisen Road in Holtville in order to reach them, the log entry read.

Staff Writer Silvio J. Panta can be reached at 760-337-3442 or at spanta@ivpressonline.com

Index by Date

Index by Keyword