Boy, 4, dies after Detroit mauling; dog owner arrested

A 4-year-old boy died after pit bulls pulled the child away from his mother, dragged him behind a fence and viciously mauled him on Detroit’s west side Wednesday.

Neighbors said they tried to help free the boy and described the frantic scene at John C. Lodge Service Drive and Baylis Street, which happened around 12:25 p.m.

“Please help me get the dogs off my baby!” a 34-year-old neighbor said the child’s mother yelled. “They have my baby!”

The woman, who didn’t give her name, said she tried to get the dogs to let the child go and used Mace, but it didn’t work.

“The dogs were so vicious, they wouldn’t let us get around the baby,” she said.

Police arrived quickly and fatally shot three dogs, Detroit police spokeswoman Sgt. Cassandra Lewis said. A fourth dog was taken into custody, she said.

The child was rushed to a hospital and died of his injuries, Lewis said. Police have not released the child’s name.

The owner of the pit bull mixes, a 41-year-old man, was arrested for negligent homicide and is in police custody, Lewis said. Earlier in the day, police said he was cooperating with officials.

The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office hasn’t received information on the case yet, and no charges have been issued as of this evening.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig said the pit bulls escaped a fenced yard and yanked the child away from his mother and dragged him back behind the fence.

“The mother tried to fight the dogs off, unsuccessfully,” he said.

Yolanda Samuels, 46, said the mother was walking with the boy to volunteer at the local school. Samuels called 911 and told the Free Press the child looked “lifeless” after the mauling.

“The cop had to open fire to at least get the dogs off the baby,” Samuels said.

Nyasha Reid, 36, also called 911 and said people in the area yelled, used bricks, clubs and Mace to try to free the child.

She said the child's mother screamed: “They got my baby!”

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, executive director and health officer for the Detroit Health Department, which oversees the city's animal control department, said animal control received complaints — once in 2013 and once in 2014 — about stray dogs in the area of the home. But when officers arrived at the scene, they didn't locate any strays, he said.

El-Sayed said the department has no prior reports of the dogs biting or attacking people. All four dogs were unlicensed, he said.

"This is a tragic case that didn't have to happen," he said. "It highlights the importance of responsible animal ownership."

Craig said vicious animals in neighborhoods are a public safety concern.

In September, a 62-year-old Derick Felton was sentenced to two years probation and a possible six-month jail sentence after his 11 bull mastiffs mauled a Detroit man, destroying his left arm, leg and ear.

Steve Constantine, 51, was trying to feed Felton's dogs when he was attacked in October 2014. Felton pleaded guilty to harboring dangerous animals that caused injuries.

In May, a judge awarded $100 million to Constantine in a civil lawsuit, but he's not expected to collect that amount.

Police said they will investigate if there were any prior incidents with the dogs.

“It’s a tragic situation,” Craig said.

Detroit Free Press staff writers Katrease Stafford and Ann Zaniewski contributed to this report.

Contact Elisha Anderson: eanderson@freepress.com or 313-222-5144