Three Children Mauled By Pack Of Escaped Dogs

FONTANA -A pack of dogs broke free from a yard in Fontana and mauled three young children on Monday. One child is still in critical condition.

Police said five pit bulls got out of their owner’s yard and attacked the siblings, ages 5, 6 and 7, on Tokay Avenue, just south of Arrow Boulevard. The mother of the victim was just taking her children out for a walk to the park when the dogs, a mastiff, a purebred pitbull and three other mixed dogs, attacked.

Police said the injuries to the 5-year-old girl were the worst. She was on a ventilator at one point.

“It was later determined that she had a punctured lung, a broken rib cage,” said Sgt. Jeff Decker of San Bernardino Animal Control.

“The mother informed us that one of the dogs had actually pulled a child from her arms, and tossed the child around like a rag doll,” Decker said.

The mastiff reportedly caused the most severe injuries. Fontana police said someone at the hospital called after the attack to ask if they had recovered any muscle tissue because if they had, they might be able to reattach it.

The dogs live on another street and are now being held by animal control. They will likely be euthanized.

Criminal charges could be pending against the owner of the dogs if it’s determined that he did not do enough to secure the dogs.