A coyote known for its repeated aggressive behavior was recently captured and euthanized following a shocking incident where it attempted to bite and drag away a four-year-old boy in Southern California. The unsettling event was caught on surveillance footage, showing the boy in his grandparents’ driveway.
Young Solomon, only four years old, endured seven puncture wounds on his legs and torso after the coyote’s alarming attack, which was captured on camera. The footage shows the wild animal’s attempt to drag the boy away.
“I heard him screaming and when I turned around, I screamed too, seeing the coyote on top of him,” recalled Solomon’s mother, Sarina Donohoo, in an interview with FOX 11 Los Angeles.
The incident involving Solomon, which occurred earlier this week, led to the coyote being captured and “humanely euthanized” by local authorities, as reported by FOX 11 Los Angeles.
“He bit me,” Solomon described. “He tried to drag me.”
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, this coyote might be responsible for more attacks than previously thought. FOX 11 Los Angeles reports that the same animal is suspected in two other incidents on March 26 and March 30. Additionally, DNA evidence has connected this coyote to an attack on another child on February 11 near an elementary school.
Wildlife authorities confirmed with FOX 11 that the coyote was “humanely euthanized” on Thursday per “standard protocol” for animals that attack humans.
Mother Sarina Donohoo recalled the terrifying incident with her four-year-old son Solomon in an interview with FOX 11 Los Angeles. (FOX 11 Los Angeles)
“For a wild animal to walk up into your yard and try to snatch your grandchild, it’s like the most horrific thing in the world,” Solomon’s grandmother and property owner Stephanie Fields added.
The terrifying incident happened early in the morning, just before 9 a.m., as his mother was unloading groceries from her vehicle.
“I was so scared because I know how bad it could have been,” Sarina said, recalling the chilling incident. “My initial response was just, I need to get him away.”
The coyote had been spotted around the neighborhood, with one resident who runs a daycare recounting she now carries both an air horn and a golf club to help keep the children in her charge safe from the predator. (FOX 11 Los Angeles)
Grandfather Stanley Fields shared that little Solomon is now undergoing a series of rabies treatments.
“He got nipped three times, and now he’s going through rabies protocol,” Stanley said. “He’s four years old, and I just think it was a little much for a young child to experience.”
A neighbor who operates a nearby daycare told FOX 11 she now carries an air horn and a golf club for protection in the area.
Authorities have urged residents in the neighborhood to “remain vigilant” as officials confirm whether other aggressive coyotes remain in the area, according to FOX 11.
Other recommendations for residents include supervising small children, especially outdoors, and using loud noises like air horns to deter wild animals. Residents are also encouraged to secure any food waste and trash bins.
Authorities encourage witnesses to call the Carson Sheriff’s Station at 310-830-1123 for coyote attacks or California Fish & Wildlife at 858-467-4257 for coyote sightings.
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