Boy, 11, attacked by aunt’s therapy dog inside NYC apartment in ‘terrifying’ incident: ‘Never seen such a thing’
By William Farrington, Larry Celona, David Propper,
10 hours ago
An 11-year-old boy was attacked by his aunt’s therapy dog inside her downtown Manhattan apartment Tuesday afternoon, according to cops and the victim’s family.
The boy was left seriously injured with wounds to his face, eye, head and arm after the American Bully pit bull mix, named Aries, launched at him around 2:50 p.m. at the Smith Houses, law enforcement sources and police said.
The victim, identified by family as Joshua, was listed in stable condition at Bellevue Hospital following the attack, authorities said. The boy’s aunt, Johanna Lopez-Ramos, said he was in surgery early Tuesday evening.
The young victim and his twin brother, who both recently moved into the apartment after their mother died of cancer, were “overwhelming” the dog before the attack, Lopez-Ramos believes.
“So I guess their strength was too much for the dog,”she told reporters outside her apartment. “I’m assuming that that must have been what happened.”
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Authorities removed the dog that attacked an 11-year-old.
William Farrington
Lopez-Ramos said she was in the bathroom at the time of the attack.
“I just heard my nephew screaming and I came running out of the bathroom and I just had to react quickly to separate them,” she said, noting she also was bitten during the struggle.
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The 11-year-old, Joshua, with other family members including his aunt.
The young victim’s twin brother, Julian, said he witnessed the incident and quickly ran away.
The NYPD’s Department of Emergency Service Unit is handling the animal, police said.
Authorities took the animal away in a crate and Lopez-Ramos said she was going to have the dog put down.
Lopez-Ramos claimed the dog never displayed violence before Tuesday’s scary moment and that the pup is actually her therapy dog for mental health.
