Dog Kills 3-year-old Boy, Attacks Mother in Carteret Backyard

CARTERET — A 3-year-old boy was killed and his mother seriously injured after they were attacked by two unregistered pit bulls on Tuesday afternoon.

The victims were in the backyard of their Laurel Street home about 4:30 p.m. when the attack occurred, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone. Mayor Dan Reiman said the dogs came from a residence on adjacent Birch Street. The dogs were not registered with the borough as required by municipal law, according to Reiman, who said the dogs have been euthanized.

The mayor said the victims were hospitalized via medical helicopter. The boy's mother remained in the hospital on Wednesday morning.

Prosecutors have not said who the pit bulls belong to, if any charges have been filed, the dogs' current status or how the attack was stopped.

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A neighbor told NBC 4 New York that the boy was playing in his family's yard, which is separated from the dogs by a fence. The neighbor reported hearing the mother scream for help.

Ciccone asked anyone with information about the attack to call Carteret police at 732-541-4181 or the prosecutor's office at 732-745-4194.

Reiman said the borough's Charity Trust Fund is accepting monetary donations for the family at its website, at a lockbox outside Borough Hall or by mailing a check to 61 Cooke Ave. Carteret NJ 07008.