A 4-year-old girl is dead and her mother ended up in the hospital after being attacked by the family's pit bull on Tuesday, police said.
Mia DeRouen, of Houma, Louisiana, was mauled to death by a 130-pound pit bull named Niko at their apartment around 7.p.m., WWL-TV reported. Police had to shoot the dog, which was described as a "monster," 13 times before it died.
The child's mother, Megan Touchet, was home watching TV with her daughter when the dog struck the child. Touchet, 27, barricaded her and DeRouen in their bedroom and called police.
"Medical personnel arrived also, and the mother was able to hand the four-year-old child through the bedroom window," Houma Police Chief Todd Duplantis told WWL-TV.
DeRouen, who suffered bites to the head and torso, died at the hospital. Her mother was also taken to the hospital with minor injuries. She was later released.
DeRouen would have turned 5 next week.
Duplantis told WWL-TV the scene of the attack was "horrific."
The pit bull "was running loose inside the apartment acting in a very vicious manner," the police chief said. "When the officers entered the residence to survey the situation, the dog attacked the officers."
Police shot the dog three times and then an additional 10 times when it continued to attack, WWL-TV reported. They had no choice but to use deadly force, Duplantis said.
Another second pit bull was also found in the apartment, a smaller six-month old that is now at a shelter. Police said there are no indications of foul play, but they are still investigating DeRouen's death.
"There are some questions and rumors about the dog possibly being trained to fight, and what have you," Duplantis told WWL-TV. "The detectives have been investigating this. However, I am here to report there have been no signs of abuse."
