Pit Bull Mauling 1-Year-Old Girl Stabbed to Death by Infant's Mom: Police

A California mother stabbed a pit bull to death as it attacked her one-year-old daughter, according to police.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LACSD) officers were called to reports of a dog bite in the 9600 block of Homebrook Street, in Pico Rivera, at about 10:18 p.m. on Sunday.

According to ABC-TV Channel 7, authorities said two pit bulls started to maul the young girl after she started to cry.

The girl suffered a fractured hip as well as bites to her left leg, shoulder and ear, according to the publication.

As the attack continued, the dogs reportedly then bit the mother's face and lip while she tried to protect her daughter.

Margaret Ann Morales, the child's grandmother, said she and her other daughter also suffered injuries in the attack.

She told ABC7: "I walked into the kitchen and that's when I [saw] my two daughters and my son on the floor trying to get the dogs off.

"Finally my daughter got up and that's when I [saw] my granddaughter. I [saw] the dog was latched on her left leg. That's when I had to actually get my hand into his jaws and open them up, and he released her."

Morales said the pit bulls' attack led her to fatally stab one of the dogs in a desperate bid to save her daughter. Jaime Morales, the child's mother, told KTLA-TV Channel 5: "I had to stab the dog. I had to. It was either him or my daughter and I chose my daughter."

Police told the outlet both pit bulls were stabbed in the attack and that one died shortly afterward.

Newsweek has contacted the LACSD for comment.

According to DogsBite.org, a group dedicated to reducing serious dog attacks, pit bulls were involved in 33 fatal attacks in 2020. The number represents 72 percent of all fatal dog attacks that year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said nearly one in five people who are bitten by a dog need medical attention. It added that children are most at risk of being attacked by a dog.

It said: "Most dog bites affecting young children occur during everyday activities with familiar dogs. Always supervise kids around dogs, even familiar pets. Teaching kids how to interact properly with dogs can help keep them safe."

Should an unfamiliar dog approach you, the CDC recommends the following actions are taken:

• Stay still and be calm
• Avoid direct eye contact with the dog
• Do not panic, make loud noises, or run
• Say "no" or "go home" in a firm, deep voice and stand with the side of your body facing the dog
• Slowly raise your hands to your neck with your elbows in and wait for the dog to pass or slowly back away