Toddler in soiled diaper found surrounded by pack of dogs in Victorville park
A Victorville mother was arrested Wednesday morning after her 2-year-old son was found standing in the rain wearing only a soiled diaper and surrounded by a pack of dogs, authorities said.
Cassandra Violet Bustamante, 26, was taken into custody on suspicion of child cruelty following the incident, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in Victorville.
About 10:14 a.m., deputies received a report of a 2-year-old boy who was surrounded by dogs at Brentwood Park in the 14000 block of Hook Boulevard.
When a sergeant arrived at the park, he found seven dogs circling the toddler.
“The dogs seemed to be very protective of the toddler when the sergeant approached him to get him out of the rain and cold weather,” the Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
The sergeant managed to scoop up the boy. Then he and other deputies searched for the toddler’s home, which was around the corner from the park.
When deputies got to the home, they found the front door open and the pack of dogs was inside, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
The boy’s mother was sleeping and didn’t realize her son had slipped out of their home, deputies said. The boy’s two siblings were also inside the home.
During the investigation, one of the dogs became aggressive and tried to bite the sergeant, according to deputies. The dog was shot and was recovering Thursday.
Due to the conditions inside the home, the San Bernardino County Department of Children and Family Services took the children away from their mother, the Sheriff’s Department said.
The children were later released to their father.
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