An 8-year-old girl is recovering in the hospital after being attacked by a dog outside a Hollywood apartment building Friday afternoon, according to her mom and local officials.
Mom recounts terrifying attack outside apartment
Keyrelly Jean Castro told CBS News Miami she had just picked up her daughter from school when the attack happened.
As they were walking into their apartment building, her daughter — who is autistic — ran toward their door and that’s when the dog attacked.
Jean Castro said in Spanish that she stood by and screamed “kill it” repeatedly as she watched her daughter being bitten by their neighbor’s dog.
She showed CBS News Miami photos of her shirt covered in her daughter’s blood after the attack.
“I looked at the guy and I didn’t even open the gate fully and she started running. My daughter. She was over there. And the dog attacked her,” Jean Castro said in Spanish.
Dog had reportedly shown aggression before
Jean Castro said this was not the first time the dog had been aggressive. She shared a video from last month that she said shows the same dog trying to attack her and her older daughter while they were moving furniture.
Although the dog was on a leash, Jean Castro said it was long enough for the animal to run from one side of the courtyard to the other.
Witnesses describe chaotic moments after attack
Hollywood Fire Rescue said Friday’s attack happened around 2:30 p.m. on the 1800 block of Funston Street.
A witness who did not want to show their face described the scene as chaotic, saying people rushed to help and wrapped the girl’s head in a towel.
“I see somebody is running. So, I just stepped out and I see somebody is sitting on the grass. And I walk out. And I see the little girl and her mom sitting on the grass and all over the blood,” the witness said off camera.
Officials investigate as child recovers
Hollywood Fire Rescue said the girl was treated at the scene for facial injuries before being taken to the hospital, where she is now recovering.
While there has been no official update on the dog’s status, Jean Castro said police took the animal away.
