A coyote was euthanized after a child was injured Friday in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles, officials said.
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, wildlife officers responded to the 3300 block of Glenhurst Avenue after a report that a 16-month-old child had been injured “following an incident involving a coyote.” Officials have not been specific about the incident.
The child was treated at a local hospital and released, the CDFW said.
Friday evening, officers found a coyote in the same area where the incident took place. The coyote was later euthanized, authorities said.
DNA samples from the child and the coyote were collected and will be analyzed to determine if the euthanized animal was the same one that attacked the child.
In August, a coyote nicknamed “Wiley” traveled the village of Atwater and he was sometimes seen running after children. Neighbors raised concerns about the animal’s behavior, and it was speculated that someone in the area may have fed it.
“We encountered the coyote maybe several times a week. Every time we walk,” said Libby Stankaitis, who lives in the neighborhood.
The CDFW said it is illegal to feed wildlife and urged residents to secure spaces and remove items that could attract coyotes.
Other residents say they wish there was a more humane way to care for the area’s wildlife.
“I think coyotes are doing really well in urban areas and I think it’s sad that we’re putting them down,” Jacob Wollner said.
It is not yet known whether the euthanized coyote was Wiley.
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