Florida Girl, 8, Suffers Facial Injuries in Dog Attack Outside Apartment After Returning Home from School

An 8-year-old girl is recovering in the hospital after being attacked by a dog outside her apartment complex in Hollywood, Florida.

The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, as the child was returning home from school, according to CBS News Miami. Hollywood Fire Rescue said the girl was bitten by the animal near her home.

Her mother, Keyrelly Jean Castro, told the outlet that she had just picked up her daughter — who is autistic — when the attack happened. As the child ran toward their apartment door, the neighbor’s dog suddenly lunged at her.

“She was over there. And the dog attacked her,” Jean Castro told CBS News Miami in Spanish.

The mother described watching in horror as her daughter was mauled, screaming “kill it” while trying to stop the attack.

Hollywood Fire Rescue confirmed that the child sustained facial injuries. She was treated at the scene and later transported to a local hospital, where she remains in recovery.

Photos obtained by CBS News Miami show the girl covered in blood with a bandage around her head, being held by her mother, whose clothes were also stained from the ordeal.

A witness told the outlet they saw bystanders rush to help the girl after the attack, recalling how “they wrapped her head in a towel.”

Jean Castro said this was not the first time the dog had displayed aggressive behavior. She alleged that in September, the same animal tried to attack her and her older daughter. In a video she shared with the outlet, the dog can be seen chasing them as they moved furniture outside.

According to Jean Castro, the dog ran “from one side of the courtyard to the other” while still on its leash.

The animal was taken away by police following the Oct. 24 incident, CBS News Miami reported.