One-year-old girl wounded in family pit bull attack in her Pico Rivera home

A one-year-old girl is undergoing surgery after being violently attacked by her family pit bulls in a Pico Rivera home Sunday night.

The attack occurred at a home in the 9600 block of Homebrook Street at approximately 10:15 p.m.

The family told CBSLA that the two pit bulls had been let inside when they suddenly attacked 1-year-old Ruby Cervantes without any type of provocation.

Several family members tried to tackle the dogs and pull them off her. Ruby's mother eventually grabbed a knife and stabbed and killed one of the dogs to halt the attack.

"It was very scary, I thought my daughter was going to die," mother Jamie Morales told CBSLA.

"I felt helpless. Me being helpless, and me not knowing what to do. The only thought in my mind was I had to kill him, I had to," she added. 

Ruby was taken to LAC+USC Medical Center, where she underwent two surgeries, her family said, the second of which to repair a broken hip. She is expected to be OK.

Several other family members also required hospitalization, including Ruby's mother, who suffered serious facial injuries, and Ruby's aunt, who required several stiches to her arm. Ruby's grandmother, Margaret Morales, was also injured as she tried to pry the dog's jaws open.

"My granddaughter's fine, she's in surgery right now...bit her ankle, her shoulder," an emotional Morales told CBSLA outside the home.

The pit bull that was stabbed died at the scene, and the second pit bull was taken into the custody of Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control and will be put down.

Morales told CBSLA that the family was stunned by the attack. She said they have owned the two dogs for the past three years without any issues or signs of violent behavior. 

In:
• Dog Attack