Prowling Coyote Killed by Deputies
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a wild coyote on Friday morning after reports that it had been prowling a Saugus neighborhood, authorities said.
Three deputies tried to scare the coyote into the surrounding hills, but the animal would not move even when officers stood 10 feet away from it, Sgt. Richard Scimeca said. A deputy shot the coyote at the corner of Cerca and Palacete drives at about 8:45 a.m.
Residents of several homes there had called the sheriff’s station Thursday because the coyote had been chasing pets and small animals in the neighborhood, Scimeca said. Residents feared that the coyote might harm children and some blamed the animal for killing a cat in the area.
However, Lt. George Enriquez of the county Animal Care and Control Department said there was no evidence that the cat had been killed by coyotes, which are usually shy, elusive animals.
“Coyotes are usually aggressive only if cornered,” Enriquez said. “We don’t usually get many complaints about them.”
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