This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
A 2-year-old boy's uncle and grandmother are facing felony child endangerment charges after the toddler was fatally mauled by pit bulls in their backyard. ABC 7 reports.
The attack occurred in the 700 block of West Citrus Street in the city of Colton in San Bernardino County. Samuel Eli Zamudio of Rialto was attacked by the family dogs while visiting his grandmother, Estolia Zamudio, 42, and his uncle, Marco Zamudio, 23.
Reports differ as to how many dogs the Zamudios owned, with some placing the number of dogs at five and some saying as many as eight pit bulls and pit bull mixes were involved.
The boy went missing at 5 p.m., family friend Erica Vega told NBC; 30 minutes later, they heard screams. When they found him, he had already been severely mauled.
Vega, who told ABC that Samuel was her godson, said, "When I went back there, he was gone, like his face was eaten, his neck," said Vega. "It wasn't him. It didn't look like him."
"The boy was mangled from the neck to the arm," neighbor Kevin Cardiel told CBS.
The 2-year-old was transported to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at about 6 p.m., according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner.
His grandmother and his uncle are now in custody. "They're being charged with felony child endangerment resulting in the death of a child," said Colton police Dt. Ray Mendez told ABC.
Vega says only the dogs, who were seized by Animal Control, are to blame, not their owner, "It's not their fault, I mean, yeah, she is the owner of the dogs but it's not her fault," she said.
The incident is being investigated by the Colton Police Department.
