Boy Killed by Family Pit Bull

Police say the attack occurred in the family's back yard

A two-year-old boy died Friday after being attacked by the family pit bull.

Police told NBCLA a pit bull grabbed and bit the child in the family's backyard in the 1500 block of West Kendall in San Bernardino at 7:15 p.m. The child was rushed to Loma Linda University Medical Center in critical condition.

He is the second toddler in four months to die in San Bernardino County from a pit bull attack.

A witness told an NBCLA contact the child was playing in backyard when the pit just snapped and attacked the boy. Two dogs were taken from the family home by authorities but we're told only one beast was responsible for the attack.

The boy was identified as Nathan Aguirre. He lived with his dad, Raul Aguirre Ramirez, mom, Kitziha Navarro, 8-year-old brother and the two pit bulls, said San Bernardino police Sgt. Gary Robertson.

"Dad went into the house for a few minutes to check on something," Robertson said. "Mom, who was in the house, came out to check on the child. She found the child in the pit bull's mouth. The mom yelled and the pit bull just dropped the child. Mom grabbed the child and ran into the house and notified authorities."

The family has had the year-old male pit bull for about three months. They got him from a person in Muscoy, he said. The other dog was older and bigger but not involved, Robertson said.

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There were bowls out for the dogs, both for food and water, and there was food in at least one of the bowls, Robertson said.

"We are not seeing any criminal culpability on the part of either parent," he added.

Series of Dog Attacks

The boy's death is the latest in a string of dog attacks in Southern California in recent months.

In January, 3-year-old Omar Martinez died from injuries he sustained when being mauled by his family's pit bull at his Apple Valley home, about 40 miles north of San Bernardino. In that case, authorities said the dog was aggressive toward responding firefighters so it was shot and killed by sheriff's deputies.

In February, a pack of five dogs escaped from their yard in Fontana, attacking three children who were walking by. Five-year-old Destiny Colon had a punctured lung and was put on life support for a while; 6-year-old Hector Perez needed 235 stitches in his legs; and 7-year-old Princess Colon needed 18.

Police shot and killed one of the dogs, the rest were euthanized. Investigators said the dogs included two pit bulls, a mastiff and two smaller breeds. Charges were filed against the dogs' owners.

In April, in neighboring Riverside County, a 6-month-old boy was mauled in his carrier by two dogs at the home of a family friend. The pit bull and pit bull mix tore the infant's diaper off and bit his scrotum. Carrie McKinney, 22, of Point Loma, lost custody of her son and her friend's dogs were quarantined before being euthanized.
       

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