3-day-old baby mauled to death by family dog in San Diego

LOS ANGELES — Police say a 3-day-old boy was fatally mauled by a pet dog as his parents watched helplessly in their San Diego home.

Sgt. Tu Nguyen said the parents were in bed watching TV with their newborn son and pit bull-mix Thursday night when the mother coughed, startling the dog.

Nguyen said the dog reacted by biting the baby, resulting in a traumatic injury. He said the parents pulled the animal off and took their only child to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy is under way to determine the cause of death.

Nguyen, a sergeant in the child abuse unit, says the baby's death appears to be "nothing more than a tragic accident."

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports animal control officers took the 2-year-old dog into custody.