Coyote that attacked 2-year-old in Fountain Valley Park caught, euthanized by wildlife officers
A coyote that attacked a 2-year-old girl in Fountain Valley’s Mile Square Park on Tuesday has been caught and euthanized, police and wildlife officials confirmed Friday.
The incident occurred at 8:30 p.m. in an area of the park near the intersection of Euclid Street and Stonecress Avenue, police reported after the attack, indicating California Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel were searching for the animal.
Fountain Valley Police Department Lt. Kham Vang reported Friday the coyote responsible for the attack had been trapped and identified using DNA evidence.
“California Department of Fish and Wildlife obtained a DNA sample from the victim’s clothing, which conclusively proved to be a coyote,” Vang said in a news release. “The same DNA sample was a match to a coyote that was trapped by CDFW.”
CDFW spokesman Capt. Patrick Foy, who works in the department’s Law Enforcement Division, confirmed the animal was located and captured by wildlife officials inside Mile Square Park early Thursday morning.
Genetic test results confirmed a match Friday afternoon, and wildlife officers and partner agencies concluded all field operations, Foy said. Police said Friday the unnamed victim was recovering from her injuries.
The attack occurred about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in Mile Square Park, near Euclid Street and Stonecress Avenue, Fountain Valley Police Lt. Kham Vang said.
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