A one-month-old baby was fatally bitten by a family dog on Tuesday, Oct. 8 in Torrance, Calif., according to the Torrance Police Department.
At approximately 12:34 p.m. on Tuesday, police received a call that someone was bitten by an animal at a residence on Martha Avenue in Torrance, which is 20 miles south of central Los Angeles.
The Torrance Fire Department reported to the scene and learned a one-month-old baby was bitten by the family dog.
The fire department took the child to the hospital. Police responded to the hospital, where they spoke to the parents and learned that the infant died. Torrance police have not revealed the infant’s identity.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner is investigating the child’s cause of death.
Police returned to the home to investigate further. Torrance Animal Control also responded to the scene and took possession of the dog. The dog’s breed has not been made public.
A family friend, Faye Tohiti, told NBC 4 that she “can’t even imagine how the mother feels right now,” adding, “she must be devastated.”
“They’re good people. They just didn’t pay attention to what they should’ve paid attention to, which is really a tragedy,” Tohidi told ABC 7. “It’s really sad.”
“I’m a dog person myself, and I have a dog at home, but the matter is that you don’t bring your infant to an atmosphere that has so many big dogs around. And it was wrong to begin with,” she said.
The incident remains under investigation and police encourage anyone with information to contact the department at 310-328-3456.
Representatives for the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office, Torrance Police Department, Torrance Fire Department and Torrance Animal Control did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Thursday.
