A heroic 13-year-old girl “made every effort” to save a one-year-old boy from a pit bull, but tragically couldn’t prevent his death.
Jiryiah Johnson was supposed to be in the care of his babysitter, Heather Rodriguez, 36, when his pit bulls attacked him inside his home in Converse, Texas, on Monday.
Rodríguez had left the girl alone with her teenage daughter and the three violent dogs.
When the dogs began attacking the baby, the teen desperately tried to protect him, but ended up in a “tug of war over the baby” with one of the dogs, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said.
“She made every effort, including lifting the baby above her head, but my understanding is that the dog climbed onto something and was able to take the baby out of her hands,” he said. KSAT.
1-year-old Jiryiah Johnson died after being mauled by his babysitter’s pit bulls
The pit bulls were detained after the attack, as the owner appeared to be more concerned about the well-being of her dogs than the baby and her daughter.
The other two dogs went on the attack while the girl ran around the house trying to get the girl away from the dogs. She tried to take Jiryiah to the bathroom, but the dogs continued to chase her.
Realizing the danger, he tried to use his cell phone to call for help.
The teenager tried to lock her and Jiryiah in a room to wait for the police to arrive, but the dogs bit her and smashed the door to enter the room.
Rodríguez returned home as officers attempted to enter the home. He was able to take the dogs outside.
Heather Rodríguez, 36, left her 13-year-old daughter alone with the baby and her three violent dogs.
The pit bulls burst through the door of the room where the girl and the baby were.
“She seemed to be more concerned about what was going on with those dogs,” Salazar said of Rodriguez.
Jiryiah was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in critical condition. He was bitten on the neck and face.
He died Monday night after being transferred to University Hospital following multiple surgeries.
“I couldn’t imagine it,” a woman who lives in the neighborhood and was shocked by the incident told KSAT.
The heroic girl was also bitten several times during the attack.
Police arrived at Rodriguez’s home after his daughter was able to call for help on her cell phone.
“It’s a heartbreaking scenario,” Salazar said.
Jiryiah’s devastated mother, Erika Castro, said KENS5 that she couldn’t process the attack.
“I’ve been shaking, I’ve had panic attacks,” Castro said.
“I wish he had stayed like he said he would have stayed,” he added about Rodríguez.
Castro said she was told the dogs would stay away from her son.
One of the dogs was taken into custody, meaning Rodriguez lost all rights to it, and the other two were detained by animal control.
Jiryiah laughed in a child’s pool. He was attacked by pit bulls while a teenage girl desperately tried to save him.
Jiryiah and her father Julian Johnson pictured.
Rodriguez was arrested and charged with injury to a child with serious bodily injury by omission.
He may face more charges for his daughter’s injuries. Child Protective Services is investigating the case and Rodriguez is being held in the Bexar County Jail on $100,000 bail.
In April, Rodriguez received a citation when his loose dogs wouldn’t let a man out of his car.
Salazar said Jiryiah’s parents knew Rodriguez had three large pit bulls, but they didn’t know they behaved violently.
“If you have a dog like that, that you know is cruel, you know it’s a problem, on the one hand, don’t even bring babies into the house, especially someone else’s baby,” Salazar told KSAT.
Castro told KENS5 that she is grateful for Rodriguez’s daughter because she “did the best she could.”
Jiryiah pictured with her parents. A GoFundMe has been created to help them with medical and funeral costs.
TO GoFundMe for Castro and Jiryiah’s father, Julian Johnson, it has gone to fund medical and funeral expenses.
‘I can’t imagine what you and your family are going through. While no words will make you feel better, I hope you fight for justice for your precious little one,” wrote GoFundMe donor Ashlie Vargas.
Castro described her baby as a “silly” and loving boy who loved dinosaurs and Bluey, the cartoon.