Texas: Police say they don't expect to file charges after 2 pit bulls maul 5 year-old to death

TEXAS -- An Orange County Sheriff's spokesman said on Monday that he did not expect any criminal charges to be filed in death of Tanner Smith, saying the two pit bulls who mauled the 5-year-old over the weekend were in a fenced in yard when the attack occurred.

Tanner, described by Vidor Elementary School Principal Jeff Leger as "a sweet little guy," was killed on Sunday at a home in the 1700 block of Aloha Street.

"Life is unpredictable and things like this remind us how precious our children really are," Leger said on Monday.

Authorities were called to the Aloha Street home around 7 p.m. Sunday after receiving a 911 call about the attack.

EMS workers tried to resuscitate Tanner, who was pronounced dead at a Beaumont hospital.

The news was devastating to staff and students at Vidor Elementary, according to Leger.

He said Tanner's teacher had the difficult task of telling his classmates that Tanner had died over the weekend. Leger said Tanner's peers colored happy pictures to give to the boy's mother.

According to the sheriff's office, Tanner was with his mother visiting a friend's home when he was attacked on Sunday evening.

Tanner's mother believed he was outside with her friend's husband, but later learned the husband was not at home at the time, according to the sheriff's office.

That's when she went outside and found her son had been mauled by the two pit bulls that belonged to her friend.

Sheriff's officials said that when the friend's husband learned about what happened to Tanner, he quickly returned to the house and killed both dogs.

(Beaumont Enterprise - Oct 19, 2015)