2-year-old boy killed after wandering up to neighbor's chained Boxer mix in Berkeley County

WEST VIRGINIA -- The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office and Animal Control are conducting a joint investigation into the death of a 2-year-old boy who they said died from injuries caused by a neighbor's dog on Monday.

"Children are suppose to outlive us adults, they're not suppose to die at two-years-old," said Captain Scott Richmond with the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office. "It makes it very difficult for us to handle and deal with."

Richmond said it happened in the Baker Heights area off Charles Town Road Monday evening around 5 o'clock. He said the boy wandered two houses down from where he lived.

 

Richmond said the neighbor's house was not fenced in and the dog, a 2 to 3-year-old boxer mix, was chained up in the backyard. He said that's when the child approached the dog and was bitten in the facial area.

 

The child was then transported to Berkeley Medical Center and later flown to Baltimore shock trauma where he died late Monday night.

 

"Part of the investigation is why didn't anybody know, how did the child get there, and what exactly happened?" said Richmond.

 

Richmond said a parent or guardian of the child may have been home at the time, but they weren't the ones who made the startling discovery.

 

"The owner of the animal actually went out in the backyard and found the child laying there," said Richmond. "We have no idea at this point how long that child laid there before he was found."

 

Richmond couldn't say if the neighbor was home at the time. He did say the dog had no history of any animal control issues.

 

"Nothing that would lead us to be concerned that that dog was on the property, and nothing of viciousness or anything of that nature," said Richmond.

 

Richmond said the dog is currently quarantined at the owner's residence.

 

"And then Lt. Johnson, with his investigation, will decide whether or not the dog needs to be seized, put in our facility at animal control, and then go the rest of it through court on what we should do with the dog," said Richmond.

 

Investigators are asking residents with information about the incident to come forward. Any pertinent information should be reported to Lt. W.A. Johnson, U-105, with the Berkley County Sheriff's Office at 304-267-7000.

Callers who want to remain anonymous can contact Berkeley County Crime Solvers at 304-267-4999.

(Your4State - Sept 29, 2015)