Boy Bitten by Coyote in San Leandro Park
A 3-year-old boy was treated for a puncture wound to his right knee and given rabies-prevention shots after being bitten by a coyote in Irvine’s San Leandro Park, police said Tuesday.
Kaushik Saikumar was playing in the park near his father, Jag Saikumar, about 8:15 p.m. Monday when the attack occurred, Irvine police officials said. The boy was taken to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, where he was treated and released.
“It’s unusual for a coyote to attack a 3-year-old,” said Lt. Sam Allevato, a spokesman for the Irvine Police Department.
Police officers--backed by the county’s Animal Services Department--found the coyote in the southeast corner of the park. Because the animal was exhibiting “unusual and aggressive behavior toward the officers” and had already attacked the child, it was killed, officials said.
The coyote’s body was taken to the Orange County Animal Shelter, where it is being tested for rabies, a police statement said.
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