CALIFORNIA -- A 6-month-old pit bull was quarantined last weekend after allegedly attacking a 12-year-old girl in Centerville, Fremont Police Department reported.
On Sept. 8 at 4:45 p.m., Fremont officers responded to the attack in a park at the Centerville Community Center, 3355 Country Drive. The girl and two friends were playing on the park's swings when the dog, which was not on its leash, lunged at her, police spokesperson Geneva Bosques said.
"She said the dog came up and bit her on the buttocks through her jeans," Bosques said. "She then tried to get it to go away, but the dog continued to try to bite her on the arms."
The dog got away from its owner in the parking lot when it ran toward the girl, police said. Bosques said all three girls tried unsuccessfully to shoo the dog away.
"They swung at it, kicked at it," she said. "They tried everything they could."
The dog's owner then called the animal, which fled into the open doors of a Honda, Bosques said. The owner fled, allegedly apologizing as they drove off.
Witnesses were able to provide officers with a license plate number. Officers located the vehicle near Mission View Avenue. The dog was ultimately seized and placed into a 10-day quarantine, Bosques said.
She added it was unclear if charges will be filed against the dog's owner. The case was turned over to animal control for investigation.
This is the first time since 2007 that a pit bull attack was reported on a child in Fremont.
That year, a 32-year-old woman hid her 5-month-old boy in a garbage can when a neighbor's pit bull attacked them in their open garage. The pit bull continued to lunge for the child, knocking the garbage can over.
The attack ended when two contractors working in the area came to the woman's rescue. She was taken to Regional Medical Center of San Jose for treatment of bite wounds she suffered to both forearms.
The dog was killed after it was learned the animal attacked a Hayward man later that day. The dog's owners were arrested on charges of failing to protect the public from a known dangerous animal and conspiracy, for hiding the dog from authorities.
(Fremont Bulletin - Sept 14, 2012)
