Southern California Infant Killed By Vicious Dog Attack

By NBC News and MSNBC

Credit: NBCSanDiego.com

Officers restrain one of three dogs seized after a fatal attack on an 8-month-old infant in Lemon Grove, Calif., Thursday evening.

June 15, 2012 Updated Jun 15, 2012 at 12:05 PM PDT

An 8-month-old infant boy was mauled and killed by at least one dog Thursday evening in a San Diego suburb, according to the county Sheriff's Department.

Up to three dogs may have been involved in the attack, which happened just before 5 p.m. in Lemon Grove, east of downtown San Diego, NBCSanDiego.com reported. The circumstances of the attack were unclear, but deputies arrived within four minutes of getting the call, San Diego sheriff's homicide Lt. Larry Nesbit told The San Diego Union-Tribune.

The child was pronounced dead at Rady's Children Hospital, the Los Angeles Times reported. Authorities confirmed that three pit bulls were hauled away from the scene by Animal Control officers, NBCSanDiego.com reported.

"They were aggressive," Nesbit told NBCSanDiego.com. "They were restrained by animal control officers with the tools they have."
It's not clear if the boy's family owned the dogs or if the attack happened at their home.

Neighbor Deirdra Canty said the dogs had been known to attack cats before. "I don’t think that a dog like a pit bull, rottweiler, large dogs should be around little infants," Canty said.

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