A Mira Mesa couple whose baby was fatally attacked by the family dog called 911 twice before driving to the hospital.
The parents of a 3-day-old Sebastian Caban said they were watching television last week when their dog bit the infant. The couple called 911 twice but were unable to get through to an operator. They then drove to the hospital, according to an NBC San Diego report.
The San Diego Police Department told NBC emergency operators received 73 calls during the half-hour period the couple called 911. The San Diego County Medical Examiner‘s office confirmed the couple had difficulty getting through.
“Multiple attempts to call 911 were made by the parents. However they were unable to get through so they drove the decedent to UCSD Thornton Hospital Emergency Department,” according to the Medical Examiner’s Office.
The county Department of Animal Services took custody of the 2-year-old dog, a neutered male named Polo. The canine will undergo a 10-day quarantine to make sure he is not rabid, after which he will be euthanized unless his owners decide to reclaim him, DAS spokesman Dan DeSousa said.
The dog had no history of being dangerously aggressive, DeSousa said.
