A heroic 13-year-old girl did all she could to save a one-year-old boy from a deadly attack by three pit bulls, yet failed as the child tragically died few hours after.
One-year-old Jiryiah Johnson was under the care of his 36-year-old babysitter, Heather Rodriguez, when her pit bulls attacked him inside her home in Converse, Texas, on Monday, as per a Daily Mail report.
Rodriguez had left Jiryiah alone with her teenage daughter and the three dogs when the attack suddenly unfolded. The pit bulls began to maul the baby, and the heroic 13-year-old girl then quickly intervened to save the child.
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She lifted Jiryiah over her head in a desperate attempt to protect him, but one of the dogs reportedly climbed onto something and snatched the baby from her hands, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said in an interview with KSAT.
“She made every effort possible, even lifting that baby over her head,” Salazar said. “But my understanding is the dog climbed onto something and was able to get the baby out of her hands.”
The other two pit bulls soon joined in on the attack as the girl ran through the house, desperately trying to get the child away from the dogs.
She attempted to take Jiryiah into the bathroom, but the dogs still pursued them. She then made an effort to search for her cellphone to call for help and attempted to barricade herself and the baby in a bedroom.
However, the relentless dogs bit through the door and continued their attack on the day, and eventually harmed both children. Rodriguez arrived home as police were responding to the scene, but her concern seemed to be more focused on her dogs rather than the injured children who she was supposed to look after, according to Salazar.
“She seemed to be more concerned with what was going on with those dogs,” he said. Jiryiah after being found was then was rushed to Brooke Army Medical Center in critical condition, with bites to his neck and face.
Despite undergoing multiple surgeries after being transferred to University Hospital, the boy died hours later, and the heroic 13-year-old also sustained multiple bite wounds during the attack.
“It’s a heartbreaking scenario,” Salazar said.
Jiryiah’s mother, Erika Castro, told KENS5 she was struggling to process the tragedy, and could not believe her son would meet such a tragic end at an early age. “I’ve been shaking, I’ve been having panic attacks,” she said.
Castro also expressed her frustration with Rodriguez, who had assured her that the dogs would be kept far away from her son.
“I wish she’d stayed like she said she would’ve,” she said.
After Jiryiah’s death, one of the dogs was taken into custody, which means that Rodriguez has lost all rights to it, while the other two remain with animal control.
Rodriguez has been arrested and charged with injury to a child with serious bodily injury by omission.
She may also face additional charges related to her daughter’s injuries, after her lack of responsibility for the children. She is currently being held in Bexar County Jail on a $100,000 bond, and Child Protective Services is investigating the details of the case.
Back in April, Rodriguez received a citation when her unleashed dogs prevented a man from exiting his car, and Sheriff Salazar revealed that Jiryiah’s parents were aware that Rodriguez had three large pit bulls but did not know they were actually aggressive.
“If you have a dog like that, that you know is vicious, you know is a problem, for one thing, don’t even bring babies into the house, especially someone else’s baby,” Salazar said. Despite the tragic outcome, Castro expressed gratitude for Rodriguez’s daughter, saying the teen “did her best.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover the funeral and medical expenses for Jiryiah’s parents, Erika Castro and Julian Johnson, with many on social media also expressing their support to the family after the death of the boy.
“I can’t imagine what you and your family are going through. Although no words will make you feel better, I hope you fight for justice for your precious little one.”
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Castro described her son as a “goofy” and loving boy who adored dinosaurs and the cartoon “Bluey”, and she is sure to miss him. However, the mother will be eyeing the outcome of Rodriguez’s charges, hoping her son is afforded justice for all the pain he endured before his demise.
