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Pit Bull Bites 11-Year-Old Boy's Face in New Haven: Police

An 11-year-old New Haven boy is recovering after being bitten in the face by a pit bull, according to New Haven police.

And had a Good Samaritan not jumped into action, the boy’s injuries could have been much worse.

"I hear him screaming, screaming. It's getting louder the screams," John Santos told NBC Connecticut.

John Santos heard a child screaming outside his Lexington Avenue home just before 10:45 a.m. Friday, ran out and saw a pit bull he did not recognize brutally attacking his neighbor’s child.

"I'm not going to lie. I tried to kill the pit. I had no choice," Santos said.

Santos pulled the dog off the boy and held it back until help came.

"As soon as I kicked the dog, got him off. It was enough for him to get up, react and go inside the house," Santos said.

The 11-year-old boy was taken to the hospital, but the dog’s owner was nowhere to be seen. Stunned neighbors tell us they’ve seen the occasional loose dog, but never expected this.

"It gives me chills. Chills. I can’t imagine being attacked by a dog," Teresa Bracken said.

Richard Neagle, who lives across the street from the attack and owns a pit bull himself, questions where the dog involved could’ve come from to end up attacking a child.

"They're just like people. If you don't raise them right, they come a little crazy," Neagle said.

As for the man who helped save the boy from potential tragedy, he said he’d do it all again.

“You got no choice, a little kid. I'd rather for it to take me before the kid,” Santos said.

Police said the boy’s injuries are serious but not life-threatening. He was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital for treatment.

The dog is under quarantine as police search for the owner. Anyone with information should contact New Haven police.

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