A 4-year-old boy was mauled to death by a dog at his family’s home in Brownsville, Brooklyn Friday night.
The victim, Jayelin Graham, was pronounced dead on arrival at Brookdale hospital after emergency workers came to the home around 9:15 p.m., police said.
The Daily News said one witness recalled Graham’s mother wailing, “Help! He ate my baby! He ate my baby!”
According to the New York Post, Graham's mother, Sequina "Honey" Jubeark, returned home with Jayelin and his half-brothers, ages 2 and 5, when she went back outside to retrieve keys she had accidentally left outside.
The boys went into a bedroom where the dogs of Jubeark's finace, Damian Jones, were running free. Jubeark was only gone for seconds when the cane corso-mix bit into Jayelin's throat, so tightly that the mother had no chance to free the toddler.
Jubeark screamed for help, and several neighbors responded and tried to help, the Post said. One shattered the first-floor window in a rescue attempt.
But it was too late for the boy, who had been dragged by the dog into the living room, said one of the neighbors who tried to help.
Officials said that the boy had bite wounds to the neck, head and torso.
Anthony Brown, a neighbor, said the animal was a known menace. "It was a violent dog,'' he said. "Dangerous. A big dog. The whole block is scared of that dog.''
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A super of the building, Kenny Rishar, told the News that people were afraid of the family’s dogs.
"This was a tragedy waiting to happen," he said.
Animal control officials took away the family’s dogs, among them a pit bull and German shepherd. The family reportedly owned other pets such as parrots, a rabbit and parakeets.
Jubeark has been set to marry Jones, also known as "Dread," June 10. The couple will not likely face criminal charges.
Amid the chaos, several people were arrested after engaging in a scuffle with the police following the attack, officials said. Witnesses contended that those detained were only trying to aid the family.
