Claims Dismissed in Puma’s Mauling of Girl, 6

Claims by an El Toro girl’s parents that state and county government officials were to blame for a mountain lion attacking her in a south Orange County park last year were dismissed Wednesday.

Orange County Superior Court Commissioner Julian Cimbaluk ruled that the lawsuit filed by Donald W. Small and Susan Mattern-Small on behalf of their daughter, Laura Michele, failed to state grounds on which any of the defendants could be held legally responsible.

Laura, then 5, was severely injured in the mauling last March 23 by a mountain lion in the Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park near San Juan Capistrano. The attack crushed part of Laura’s skull, left her right arm and leg paralyzed, damaged her right eye, left her unable to speak for more than a month and inflicted 50 cuts on her head and face.

Now 6, Laura has since undergone repeated surgeries, including a corneal transplant, and has developed a blood disease in reaction to antibiotics administered shortly after the attack.

Although she has shown improvement, she faces further surgeries and continued therapy, her parents have said.

The Smalls sought $28 million in damages from the state and the county, various state and local agencies, and the National Audubon Society. On Wednesday, Cimbaluk dismissed claims against all defendants.

The Smalls’ lawyer, Richard Staskus of San Jose, had told the court that park officials and naturalists working nearby knew that a big cat was on the prowl immediately before the attack but failed to warn the Smalls or other visitors.

The commissioner’s decision left Staskus the opportunity to redraft his legal claims. The family’s attorney could not be reached Wednesday for comment.