An 8-year-old boy was “brutally” mauled to death by two dogs after he went to pet the “extremely aggressive” animal, police said in Florida. The sheriff vowed to “do everything humanly possible” to hold the owner accountable for the animal assault and have the dog “put down.”
At about 4:55 p.m. Monday, the boy, Michael Millett, was riding his bike with a friend in the Berry Ridge community in DeLand, about an hour northeast of Orlando.
“This is a tragedy beyond comprehension.”
The boy reportedly went to pet the dog, but then tragedy struck.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said on tuesday press conference“From petting and very friendly encounters, the dogs became very, very, very ferocious and very violent.”
“A little boy is being attacked by two dogs. Oh my god, please hurry,” the caller reportedly told the 911 dispatcher.
According to The frantic caller told the dispatcher, telling the Daytona Beach News Journal: “He's not moving, the boy is being attacked. He was screaming for help, but they held him to the ground and they were like biting him and he's already down.” No, no reaction. ”
The caller said the boy's mother jumped on top of her son to protect him from the dog's attack.
CPR was performed on the boy, but it was ineffective and Michael was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said: statement One of the dogs is a pit bull and the other is a mixed breed.
The dogs escaped from the property and authorities chased the animals down the road. The dogs were driven back to the property and eventually captured. The dogs were being quarantined by Volusia County Animal Services.
fox news reported Deputies and animal control officers said they noticed the dog owner's property was not fully fenced, allowing the dog to easily escape.
According to the newspaper, police are investigating the possibility that the same dog was “running wild and killing chickens.”
“These dogs are terrorizing the neighborhood,” Chitwood said.
An autopsy revealed the boy suffered 12 severe bite wounds, including injuries to his legs and neck.
“We will do everything humanly possible to hold the owners of these dogs accountable, and we will do everything in our power to ensure these dogs are destroyed.”
sheriff said“What a horrible, horrible incident. [The boy was] He was viciously attacked, brutally attacked and killed on the spot. ”
Ms Chitwood believes the victim did not suffer for long as her injuries were “devastating” and “horrifying”.
The sheriff added: “I don't know what anyone can say to ease the immense pain this family is feeling tonight. This is a tragedy beyond comprehension, especially for us, the parents and grandparents. All I can do is ask the community.” Please say a prayer of strength for this family and keep them in your thoughts as they face their worst nightmare. ”
The dog's owner, identified by the News Journal as 31-year-old Amanda Franco, was reportedly not on the premises at the time of the animal attack.
The newspaper said of Mr. Franco, “We conducted a brief review of the Volusia County branch's jail arrests.” record Franco has been arrested 12 times since 2015 for drug offenses, aggravated assault, assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and probation violations. ”
Chitwood said Franco is subject to weekly drug tests and has not been cooperative with authorities.
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office, Volusia County Animal Control and the State Attorney's Office are working together to prosecute Franco.
“We are going to seek justice for Michael,” Chitwood declared, adding, “We are going to do everything humanly possible to hold the owners of these dogs accountable and “We will do everything in our power to ensure that these dogs are destroyed,” he added. ”
a GoFundMe campaign It was launched to support Michael's family following their tragic loss. The campaign has raised approximately $60,000 as of this article's publication.
Police are asking anyone with information about the dog involved in the attack to contact the Volusia County Sheriff's Office at 386-943-7866.
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