An 18-month old toddler was mauled to death by a pit bull while being babysat at a Newark home.
Pit Bull Kills Toddler
Newark, NJ - An 18-month old girl is dead after being attacked by at least one pit bull. The attack occurred Tuesday in the 100 block of 2nd Avenue near Wakeman Avenue around 9:30 pm, reports RLS Media. The dog was actively attacking the girl when Newark police arrived. She was transported to University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The attack comes just days after East Orange police, 4 miles away, shot and killed a "family" pit bull after it attacked three children and an adult.
The Essex County Chief Assistant Prosecutor, Thomas Fennelly, confirmed the girl's death was likely the result of a "canine attack" and that an autopsy will determine the cause and manner of death. Fennelly did not disclose the location or circumstances of the attack, the owner of the dog, or the breed of dog involved. Back in March, a pit bull killed an infant and critically injured his mother in a multi-victim "family" dog attack in Woodbridge, New Jersey, about 20 miles south of Newark.
Both CBS New York and WABC report the toddler was being babysat by a teenager at the time. The deadly attack occurred inside the first floor apartment. A "Beware of Dog" sign hung on the fence of the home. The front door of the apartment was open while WABC was filming. Apparently, the toddler "wandered away" and encountered the dog, reports WABC. Detectives are trying to obtain more information from family members, but they are so "distraught" they can't be interviewed yet.
Kawhon Jahnye, who lives nearby, told WABC he was stunned at the number of responders at the scene. "When I seen that amount of agencies and police enforcement and ambulances, I thought, 'My God, what's going on?'" Jahnye was later told by responders, "An 18-month old baby has been ripped apart by a pit bull, or a ferocious dog." Jahnye added, "That's the most horrific thing that can happen to anybody." A man exiting the home told a WABC reporter, "The dogs belong to my brother."
Finally, there are several discrepancies. WABC reports the attack occurred in the afternoon and the toddler was pronounced dead at 7:00 pm. Other outlets report that attack occurred at 9:30 pm. It's also unclear what "wandered away" actually means (Did the toddler wander away into a shared hallway or upstairs into a different apartment unit?). One pit bull was inside the apartment apparently, and 1-3 other pit bulls were "in the building." Newark Animal Control confiscated all of the dogs.
Clarifications: The fatal dog attack occurred in the late afternoon or evening, according to media sources who went to the location and spoke to neighbors. The 18-month old child, who was being watched by a teenage babysitter at the time, was pronounced dead at University Hospital around 7:00 pm. Four pit bulls were seized from the family's home, according to investigators, but it was unclear which of the dogs were involved. Authorities believe all four dogs belonged to a family member.
The home on 2nd Avenue in Newark's Central Ward where a pit bull killed a toddler.
Related articles:
03/10/24: 2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Woodbridge Infant Killed, Mother Injured in Pit Bull Attack
06/10/21: 2021 Dog Bite Fatality: Elizabeth Child Dies After Falling from Window, Mauled by Pit Bulls
03/30/21: 2021 Dog Bite Fatality: Carteret Boy Killed, Mother Severely Injured in Pit Bull Attack
Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent "baseline" information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.
Another poorly reported story. The only thing that’s clear is that another innocent child died a horrible, preventable death by a pit bull.
Zero mistake dog.
Did I read that right that the police had been there before and had to shoot a pit bull? I
I don’t think so! Which paragraph are you referring to?
Last sentence, 1st paragraph:
The deadly attack comes just days after East Orange police shot and killed a “family” pit bull after it attacked three children and an adult inside the home.
I also thought the same thing when i read it
Thanks! I just tried to clarify that. The East Orange attack is a separate city about 3-4 miles away and that attack occurred about a week earlier.
So sad.
They have security bars on the windows but the threat that became the killer was inside the house.
exactly and a beware of dog sign they themselves failed to heed ………………
If you have a beware of dog sign isn’t that proof that you knew your gaggle of pit bulls were dangerous and therefore make the parents criminally responsible for the death of their child? It’s absolutely absurd to think they didn’t realize these dogs were vicious!