A toddler and a teenager are recovering in Texas after a roughly 2-minute dog attack left them with “substantial” injuries and psychological trauma, police said.
Heather Rodriguez, 36, was arrested on Monday morning after a preliminary investigation determined that she left her four XL American bullies alone with the 1-year-old boy she was in charge of babysitting and a 13-year-old girl, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said during a news conference.
While Rodriguez was gone from her Converse, Texas home for unknown reasons, the baby and young girl stayed in the bedroom to sequester themselves away from the dogs because they were “known to cause damage,” according to Salazar.
At some point, the sheriff said the dogs forced themselves into the bedroom by destroying a connected bathroom door already damaged by the canines.
‘Tug of war’ for baby between dogs and 13-year-old girl
Once in the bedroom, the dogs began biting the baby, Salazar said.
“The 13-year-old was able to maintain control of the baby, but at this point, and what’s being described to me, it was almost a tug of war for the baby between at least one of the dogs and the little girl,” according to the sheriff.
As the back and forth for the baby was going on, additional dogs came into the room and joined the attack, Salazar said. The 13-year-old would spend “several minutes trying to fight them off,” leading to her being bitten in the process, the sheriff added.
“At a certain point, she had to break away and physically left the baby behind in the bathroom,” the sheriff said. (She was) being attacked while she went to go get her cell phone to call for help.”
1-year-old in ‘critical condition’ following dog attack
After the girl called 911, she took the baby into another bedroom where she barricaded the door, according to Salazar. The 13-year-old then used her body to prevent the dogs from coming into the bedroom, the sheriff added.
When deputies arrived, they came in, took control of the scene and began giving the baby first aid, Salazar said. Emergency responders then took the boy to a hospital.
“From what we understand about the baby right now, he’s definitely in critical condition,” according to the sheriff. “I’ve actually seen some pictures of the baby from our body camera video… it’s heartbreaking to see anybody in that condition.”
Salazar described the baby as having “pretty severe head injuries” and said his throat and airway were damaged to the point that he was not able to breathe normally. The baby’s parents, who told deputies they did not know Rodriguez’s dogs were “problematic,” reunited with their child at the hospital Monday morning, the sheriff said.
“I’m led to believe they would not have let (Rodriguez) care for their baby the way that they did had they known that these dogs were unsafe,” according to Salazar.
‘I’m considering her a hero’
In addition to being booked for felony injury to a child, Rodriguez was also cited for having her dogs run free without a leash, Salazar said. She could face additional charges for the injuries sustained by the teen, who deputies found inside the home covered in the baby boy’s blood, he added.
“I’ve got to be honest, the 13-year-old in this instance, I’m considering her a hero,” the sheriff said. “I think her actions led to the baby not being mauled even more seriously, or even killed as a result of this savage dog attack.”
Child Protective Services is involved in this case to ensure the baby is OK and to see if the 13-year-old “is able to hold it together as a result of what she saw and experienced,” according to the sheriff.
“It’s certainly a heartbreaking situation for all,” Salazar said.
It is unclear if Rodriguez has legal representation yet.
‘Any dog that took part in it needs to be put down’
According to the sheriff, at least two of the four dogs were primarily involved in the attack, but it is possible all of them participated in some capacity.
“Obviously for me, any dog that took part in it needs to be put down,” Salazar said. “As heartbreaking as that sounds, the life of a little baby is much more important.”
The dogs are currently with Bexar County Animal Control, which will determine what happens to them, the sheriff said. He added how Rodriguez gave deputies a “hard time” when they came to take the dogs away.
“If we’re able to find out that one of the dogs, or several of the dogs were not responsible, then fine,” Salazar said. “Perhaps those can go back, but (Rodriguez) seemed to be more concerned with what was going on with those dogs than with the fact that her inaction (and) her omissions almost caused the death of a baby.”
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