Dog kills 1-month-old boy inside Lafayette home
Ron Wilkins
LAFAYETTE — Police killed a pit bull terrier-mix dog standing over mauled 1-month-old Julian Connell, who later died, Lafayette police said.
The infant's teenage brother called police about 11:30 a.m. Saturday to report the dog attacked Connell, police said. Police also noted that the infant's mother was at home at the time of the attack.
The pit bull-mix dog had been fighting with a beagle-mix dog in the house at 1901 Greenbush St., police said. The teenage brother separated the two dogs, and that's when the the pit bull-mix attacked the infant, police said.
Tippecanoe County Coroner Donna Avolt said preliminary autopsy findings Monday morning indicated that Connell died from multiple sharp injuries from dog bites to the head and neck.
Police were investigating where the infant was lying when he was attacked, Lafayette police Lt. Matt Gard said.
The dog fight had been in the same room where police found the dog and Connell, police said.
After the dog's death, Lafayette Animal Control officers told Lafayette police that the dog appeared to be a pit bull-mix breed, Gard said.
Officers arrived and found the pit bull-mix breed standing over Connell, and officer Neil Cain shot the dog to get to the boy and begin lifesaving aid, police said.
Connell was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
The beagle-mix dog also was injured by the pit bull-mix dog and was taken to the Purdue Veterinary Hospital for treatment, police said.
Police reports did not indicate whether the dog that was killed as a male or female, whether it had been neutered or spayed or was current on its shots, Gard said.
There were no prior calls to the house for problems with the dogs, according to police and animal control reports, Gard said. And Gard said he doesn't recall police being called to the house for other complaints or issues in the last couple of years.
The infant's family has owned the house since August 2017, according to county property records.
The Journal & Courier went to the home Monday afternoon, and no one answered the door. It was not clear if anyone was home. The J&C also knocked on neighbors' doors. No one answered.
Reach Ron Wilkins at 765-420-5231 or at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.
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