Pit bull fatally mauls 4-year-old girl in the San Joaquin Valley

A 4-year-old girl was fatally mauled this week by a dog in Visalia, authorities said.

Officers responded shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday to a home in the 2300 block of West Monte Vista Avenue in the San Joaquin Valley city midway between Bakersfield and Fresno, authorities wrote in a statement on Facebook.

The child had finished swimming and was inside the home when the pit bull attacked, according to the Visalia Police Department.

The child was taken to a hospital, where she died.

An investigation found no evidence of neglect or criminal wrongdoing, and the dog had no history of violence or aggression, said Elizabeth Jones, the department’s public information officer. At the family’s request, the dog was taken by animal control and euthanized, Jones said.

“This heart-wrenching event is a tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this incredibly difficult time,” authorities wrote in their statement.