A heartbreaking event took place in Queens, New York, when a one-month-old infant was fatally attacked by the family’s pet while she was asleep between her parents. The incident happened in the early morning hours of Tuesday, as confirmed by law enforcement officials and individuals familiar with the family.
The 27-year-old mother made a distress call to 911 shortly after 6:30 a.m., stating that their six-week-old German Shepherd-Pit Bull mix had attacked her newborn. The couple had been asleep with their baby nestled between them in their apartment at NYCHA’s Queensbridge Houses when they awoke to the horrifying scene of the puppy biting the infant’s face.
The dog had inflicted severe damage to the baby’s face, who was born just over a month ago on April 13. Emergency services responded promptly to the mother’s call, but despite their best efforts, the infant’s life could not be saved.
The identities of the infant and the parents have been withheld by the police. A friend of the mother shared the mother’s shock and disbelief, recounting, “She told me she woke up and the dog was attacking the baby! Biting the baby’s face!”
A neighbor, Shanel Norville, remembered hearing the mother’s screams and the arrival of the police. Norville also noted that she had cautioned the mother two days before the incident to keep the dog leashed, but her advice was disregarded with the assurance that the dog was not aggressive.
Norville recalled seeing the mother with the baby a few days prior, waiting for the elevator with the unleashed dog. The dog had even strayed onto the elevator alone when the mother had to briefly return to the apartment. Despite Norville’s insistence that all dogs have the potential to bite and should be restrained, the mother did not take her advice.
Another neighbor, Maria Gutierrez, 29, described the chilling screams that reverberated through the building that morning. She later found out about the tragic death of the one-month-old baby. As a mother of three children and a dog owner herself, Gutierrez expressed her disbelief at the incident, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding children.