BATON ROUGE, La. – A 7-year-old girl has died after she was attacked by a dog in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that they were contacted by emergency medical services and the St. George Fire Department in reference to a dog attacking a small child Friday.
The girl was playing outside of a relative’s house around 6:35 p.m. local time when she was attacked by a dog, according to the sheriff’s office. A relative tried to intervene, WFB reported, but the dog kept attacking.
The girl was taken to the hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
“This is an awful, heartbreaking tragedy,” Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said in the news release. “My heart goes out to this family, and they will remain in my prayers.”
EBRSO said that the dog’s owner, identified by WAFB as Erick Lopez, 20, has been charged with negligent homicide for failing to restrain or confine their dog and allowing it to roam the neighborhood.
EBRSO said the investigation is ongoing. Animal control has been notified about the dog, and the dog has been taken into custody.
No further information has been released.
