Sylmar neighborhood on edge after mountain lion attacks and kills dog

A Sylmar neighborhood is on edge after a mountain lion attacked and killed a dog while it was on a walk with its owner over the weekend. 

The incident happened sometime Saturday evening, when Rey Constante was driving down the street near Oakridge Mobile Home Park, in the 15400 block of Glenoaks Boulevard, and happened upon the big cat, which was cowering over the dog still on its leash. 

The owners of the dog, only described as a pit bull, were on a walk when they say the mountain lion lunged at them. They said that despite their attempts to fight back, the cat overpowered them and took their dog. 

"It's scary, because you're in a helpless situation," Constante said. "You can't do anything and you see your beautiful pet being killed right in front of you."

They said that the cat then bolted into the nearby foothills after being startled by other cars. 

KCAL News has reached out to the California Department of Fish & Wildlife but they say that they have not yet received report of the incident. 

It's unclear if the big cat was tagged or if was previously known to local wildlife officials.