The mother of a 2-year-old girl who was bitten by a coyote in Huntington Beach has announced plans to sue the city.
Bree Anne Lee Thacker, whose daughter suffered cuts to her neck and head in the April attack, says the city is responsible for the incident because it failed to respond to a rising number of coyote-related encounters that had occurred.
"Frankly, she is lucky to be alive at all," attorney Sam Soleimany said during a news conference, according to the Los Angeles Times. "Had this bite been just a few inches [lower], we'd be talking about a completely different type of case."
The unprovoked attack happened on April 28th while Thacker's family was taking an evening walk near the Huntington Beach Pier. Video captured the moment the coyote pounced on the little girl.
"Suddenly, out of nowhere, a coyote came and attacked Breanne's 2-year-old toddler girl," Soleimany said. "Essentially, what happened is the coyote ran up and it tore the girl's face, leaving deep lacerations and now scars on her face."
The little girl is left with emotional scars, as well.
"She is scared physically," Soleimany said, according to the East Bay Times. "Kids are resilient, but she has emotional reactions to seeing anything that looks like a coyote, dog or cat."
Soleimany said the attack happened amid a rise in coyote sightings in urban areas of California. The coyote was euthanized, and DNA testing confirmed it was the same animal responsible for the attack. A second coyote that was located in the area was also euthanized.
At the time of the attack, the city had approved a coyote management plan outlining a course of action to reduce interactions between the wild animals and humans, the LA Times reported. However, Soleimany claims the city did not take enough action to address the growing coyote population.
"What the city could have done differently in this case was actually follow the portions of their plan that called for hazing teams to be created to address the risk of encroaching coyotes," Soleimany said, according to CBS News. "It does not appear that they actually did that."
A spokesperson for the City of Huntington Beach told the LA Times that hazing teams were added to the plan only after the attack.
“The introduction of the [volunteer hazing program] in Huntington Beach came as a result of discussions with the Huntington Beach community during the neighborhood coyote town hall that took place following the April 28 incident," spokeswoman Jennifer Carey said in a statement. "The city's coyote management plan is intended to be a living document that is regularly updated to reflect the newest best management practices relating to coyotes."
City officials have not commented on Thacker's claim. If they reject it or take no action, Thacker plans to file a lawsuit in court.
Related
Related
