A toddler was killed when she was mauled by a pit bull in her family’s Newark, N.J. home on Tuesday.
The 18-month-old girl wandered away from the teen who was watching her when the dog went after her, according to the New York Post. She was rushed to University Hospital in Newark but did not survive due to “horrific and serious injuries from an apparent canine attack,” the Essex County prosecutor’s office said.
“The investigation is continuing and the official cause and manner of death will be determined by an autopsy,” Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly told News 12.
The killer canine was removed from the home by Animal Control, along with another pit bull, according to the Post. Detectives are looking into the possibility the second dog was also involved.
Police did not reveal who owned the dogs that were in the house or what prompted the attack.
Local residents were shocked at the girl’s death.
“They tell me today that these people have a 18-month-old baby that was ripped apart by a pit bull or ferocious dog,” neighbour Kawhon Jahyne told ABC 7. “That’s the most horrific thing that can happen to anyone on earth.”
Late last month, police in East Orange, N.J. shot and killed a pit bull after it attacked three kids, including a 22-month-old, and an adult.