2008 Fatality: Boy Killed by Pit Bull in Weslaco, Texas
Pablo Lopez (Hernandez)Weslaco, TX - Texas already carries the burden of too many
deaths by pit bulls. In 2007, Texas lead the nation with 6 fatalities attributed to pit bulls and may continue to hold the deadly honor in 2008. Last night, a 5-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pit bull near the town of Weslaco in Hidalgo County. In the last 9 fatal dog attacks in Texas, 8 involved pit bulls.
The incident occurred about 8 p.m. at a home on North Beto Garcia Road, just north of the intersection of Mile 12 1/2 North and Farm-to-Market Road 88. Deputies arrived at the scene to find the child's aunt holding his lifeless body in her arms and the dog still in the front yard. The dog fled after a deputy shot and wounded it. Authorities were still trying to subdue the animal late Wednesday.
Justice of the Peace, Rosa Treviño said, "No one needs to keep these types of dogs. These dogs turn on you."
Neighbors told deputies the dog was always chained up, an assertion supported by local activist Beto Garcia -- namesake of the road where the mauling occurred. But one witness told reporters the animal was not restrained just before the incident. Officials declined to identify the boy pending notification of his mother, who resides in the state of Washington. The boy's father lives in Mexico.
Neighbors, though, identified the boy as Pablo Lopez. He had been living with his aunt and uncle after Child Protective Services placed him with them. The circumstances of that placement were not immediately known, but authorities had no record of being called out to the house before. Neighbor Luis Palomo, 20, said he was down the street playing football with his friends when the trouble began.
"The boy was at home with a babysitter when a pit bull at the house began running around the front yard in an excited manner, getting a second pit bull inside the home riled up. The babysitter and boy were inside the house with the second dog and were clearly fearful, Palomo said. He went over to help them and managed to distract the dogs temporarily, but the boy wandered out the back door. One of the dogs grabbed him by the torso and dragged him. Palomo recalled hearing about 20 seconds of screaming, and then nothing. He said the dog locked its jaws around the boy's neck, quickly killing him."
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