One child dead, another hospitalized after dog attack at Central Park in California City

CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KERO) — A 12-year-old boy is dead and another child was hospitalized after two unleashed dogs attacked a group of children at Central Park in California City on Friday, June 18.

California City Mayor Edwin Hawkins said police responded to the scene after reports that four children had been mauled.

Fernando Torres Moreno, 12, jumped into a nearby lake to escape the charging dogs. Officers pulled Fernando from the water, and he was taken to the hospital, where he died the next day.

A second child suffered serious, though non-life-threatening, dog bite wounds and has since been released from the hospital. Two additional children were shaken but did not require medical treatment.

Authorities say the dogs, both mixed breed, were off-leash but in the presence of their owner when the attack unfolded.

The investigation remains active and ongoing. No arrests have been made.

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