Police say they are investigating the death of a 13-year-old boy whose body was found after he and another child were attacked by a large dog in Paterson, New Jersey.
Paterson police say they received a report that two boys had been attacked by a dog Friday and that the children, both 13, ran in different directions.
One of the boys, who authorities identified as Kenneth Santilla, was found dead near Rossiter Avenue and Hill Street. Police are waiting on the Medical Examiner's Office to confirm the cause of death.
The other boy, whose name has not been released, and the dog's owner, 50-year-old Paterson resident Paul Clarke, both suffered bite wounds. Authorities said Clarke stabbed the animal during the attack. The dog was euthanized, and its remains will be tested for rabies.
According to Animal Care and Control, the dog that attacked the boys was a bull mastiff that weighed around 115 pounds.
“I’ve been doing this for a lot of years and I’ve never seen nothing like this," said Chief Animal Control Officer John DeCando. "Nothing to this extreme.”
Last month, police in Newark shot two dogs as they mauled a 10-year-old boy in what a neighbor described as a "horrific" attack.No charges have been filed in connection with the dog attack or the boy's death, and police are asking anyone who has information about either to call 973-321-1120.
