A tragic incident unfolded in Queens, New York, when a 1-month-old baby girl was fatally mauled by the family’s puppy while she was sleeping between her mother and stepfather. The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, according to law enforcement officials and sources close to the family.
The mother, aged 27, dialed 911 shortly after 6:30 a.m., reporting that her newborn had been attacked by their 6-week-old German Shepherd-pit bull mix. The couple had been sleeping with the baby between them in their apartment at NYCHA’s Queensbridge Houses when they woke up to the horrifying sight of the puppy gnawing on the infant’s face.
The dog had bitten off a significant part of the baby’s face, who was born just over a month ago on April 13. The emergency services arrived at the scene following the mother’s distress call, but despite their efforts, the baby could not be saved.
The identities of the infant and the couple have not been released by the police. A friend of the mother recounted the mother’s shock and disbelief, saying, “She told me she woke up and the dog was eating the baby! Chewing on the baby’s face!”
A neighbor, Shanel Norville, recalled hearing the mother’s screams and the arrival of the police. Norville also mentioned that she had warned the mother two days prior to the incident to keep the dog on a leash, but her advice was dismissed with the assurance that the dog did not bite.
Norville recounted seeing the mother with the baby a couple of days ago, waiting for the elevator with the unleashed dog. The dog had even wandered onto the elevator alone when the mother had to return to the apartment briefly. Despite Norville’s insistence that all dogs can bite and should be leashed, the mother did not heed her advice.
Another neighbor, Maria Gutierrez, 29, described the chilling screams that echoed through the building that morning. She later learned about the tragic death of the 1-month-old baby. As a mother of three children and a dog owner herself, Gutierrez expressed her disbelief at the incident, emphasizing the importance of protecting children.