The coyote that attacked a 4-year-old boy near his family’s home in Carson on Tuesday has been linked to another attack on a younger child, according to authorities.
On Tuesday, surveillance video captured a coyote grabbing a young boy and dragging him to the ground in the driveway of his grandparents’ home in Carson. KABC Informed.
“All of a sudden, I heard him screaming, and I turned, and I screamed too because I saw the coyote on top of him,” the boy’s mother, Sarina Donohoo, told the station.
Donohoo said she ran into the house with her son and the coyote was gone.
“I was so scared because I knew how bad it could have been,” she said. “My initial reaction was just I have to take her away, and I have to see if she’s OK.”
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Law Enforcement Division confirmed it responded to the scene around 8:50 a.m., according to a news release. DNA testing confirmed the coyote responsible for attacking another child in Carson on February 11 around 4 p.m.
After the February incident, the Department of Fish and Wildlife said it tried to capture the coyote and then partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to the release. On April 2, the agency captured and humanely euthanized the coyote responsible for the attacks.
That same day, two more coyote attacks were reported to Fish and Wildlife and are being investigated, according to the release. The March 26 attack involved a 31-year-old Gardena woman. The second attack occurred around 6:30 pm Monday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson in which a coyote attacked a small child. The Department of Fish and Wildlife is investigating both incidents and has collected DNA samples from the victims for testing.
The agency believes the coyote responsible for the Tuesday and February 11 attacks may also be responsible for one of the other attacks.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife said the coyotes were likely drawn to populated areas by the smell of food waste, unsecured garbage cans or pet food left outside. The department advises the community not to leave small pets unattended, keep pets on leashes when walking, dispose of trash in secure bins, keep livestock and poultry in secure pens at night and keep bird feeders clean.
According to the agency, if you encounter a coyote, maintain a safe distance and slowly back away while maintaining eye contact. Do not run away as this may trigger the animal’s chasing instinct. Small children and pets should be kept with adults. Make loud noises, such as yelling or whistling, and try to make yourself look bigger by moving your arms. If the coyote approaches, fight it off and call animal control or 911.
There is no specific coyote season in California, but they are most active between January and March, which is their mating season. They are most active during pup-leaving season between September and November and during dawn and dusk.
