One-year-old boy mauled by lab mix in Riverside County

A six-year-old Labrador mix was impounded from a residence in unincorporated French Valley Saturday, in connection with a dog attack that left a one-year-old boy with severe injuries to his face, authorities said.

The boy, a month shy of his second birthday, remains hospitalized after being bitten as he played near his mother and a friend at Primrose Park on Cloche Drive, sometime after 3 p.m. Friday.

A witness initially reported the unattended dog might be a Rottweiler, but today the mother’s friend pointed out the animal to Riverside County Animal Services Sgt. Lesley Huennekens, who is investigating the incident. The dog, Dexter, which was properly licensed, vaccinated for rabies, neutered and micro- chipped, was taken into custody about 3 p.m. from a home on Starkey Court, animal control officials said.

Authorities have not named the tot, but our Los Angeles affiliate ABC7 identified the victim as Kaidyn Sutton, and quoted the victim’s mother, Michaela, as saying the dog had bitten him on the forehead and the cheek.

Sutton told the television station the dog did not appear to have a collar or leash.

“Both the mother and the friend were close by when they heard the boy screaming,” Huennekens said in a news release. “We have been told that the dog seemingly came out of nowhere when the child was attacked.

“The friend reportedly helped grab the dog away from the child. The boy’s mother picked up her son and ran to her car and headed straight to a nearby hospital.”

Dexter is being held at the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus until a hearing to determine if the dog is safe enough to return to its owner. Animal Services officials said they have no record of prior attacks involving Dexter.

Animal Services will make a recommendation about whether the dog poses a danger, and an independent hearing officer will review evidence and ultimately decide whether Dexter should be euthanized.