6-Year-Old Boy Attacked by Coyote at Sister’s Softball Game, Leaving Him Needing 20 Stitches and Several Rabies Shots

A 6-year-old child was seriously injured after a coyote attacked him at a park in California.

On Monday, Aug. 4, Enoch Palomar was attending his sister’s youth softball game at Del Amo Park when the coyote suddenly ambushed him, according to KTLA, ABC7, and CBS News.

A witness’s phone captured the terrified screams of the boy as the animal chased and then bit him, KTLA reported.

“It just kept biting me and I was trying to kick it,” Enoch said to KTLA. “It was too fast and it just jumped. I was trying my hardest and then it didn’t work, and then I yelled.”

Enoch “tripped on a rock” while trying to escape the attack, CBS News reported.

“It felt like pain, like I got bit from a wolf,” he told the outlet.

Enoch’s mother, Melissa Palomar, rushed to her son’s aid after hearing his cries, ABC7 reported.

“I ran towards him, and then I noticed it was a coyote, and I started making noise, and as soon as I got close to him, he ran off,” Melissa said.

“I’m glad I was there to see my kid and run to the rescue, but it could have been a tragedy,” she added, according to CBS News.

Following the attack, Enoch required 20 stitches on his leg and multiple rabies vaccinations. He also sustained bites to his head, ABC7 reported.

Melissa expressed her shock that the coyote would attack despite the park being crowded.

“There’s a lot of coyotes. I mean, I’ve seen them in the street driving, but I never thought they would be so close to us,” she told ABC7. “For a lot of people to be there and still a coyote go to the playground and attack them, it’s very shocking to me.”

Melissa hopes the city takes action and holds itself accountable.

“I know it’s wildlife and we can’t control them, but I hope they do something to have parents alerted,” she told CBC News.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has taken Enoch’s shirt for DNA testing as part of their effort to locate the coyote involved in the attack, according to the outlet.

Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes expressed her sympathies to Enoch and his family.

“The City of Carson is deeply saddened by the incident,” she said, according to CBS News. “Our thoughts are with him and his family during this difficult time. Coyotes are a known presence in our region, and the City continues to take proactive measures to protect residents.”