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Jan 31, 2006 4:55 pm US/Eastern
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Pit Bull Euthanized After Attack On DE 3-Year-Old
NEW CASTLE (CBS 3) ―
New Castle County Police said a three-year-old girl was critically injured after reportedly being attacked by a Pit Bull Monday. The dog was euthanized Tuesday morning.
Paramedics responded to reports of an attack on a small child by the family dog on the 100 block of Oakmont Drive just after 10:30 a.m. officials said.
When they arrived on the scene, authorities said they discovered three-year-old Destiny Campbell suffering from massive head injuries. She was transported to Christiana Hospital in critical condition.
Police said a four-year-old Pit Bull named 'Diamond,' allegedly mauled the child while she was with her mother at her grandmother's house.
Destiny and her mother, Alycia Campbell, were picking up the child's grandmother when the dog, belonging to an older cousin, Turquoise Robinson, attacked the three-year-old for no apparent reason.
"I tried everything to get her (Diamond) off my child, you know, I couldn't do anything. I tried beating her with a cane, I tried everything, she swung her side to side like a ragdoll," said Alycia Campbell.
After several attempts to free Campbell, her mother and grandmother screamed for help. Residents in the area responded, striking the dog with sticks and broom handles until it released the child.
"The dog had grabbed her by the crown and pulled off her scalp and bit off her right ear. She was in a state of shock," said neighbor Toney Jackson.
S.P.C.A. officers were able to locate and capture the dog. Officials said the caninie was euthanized just after 10 a.m. Tuesday, partly because of the severity of the attack.
"Based on the fact it was a severe bite and mainly that the dog is not current or has been inoculated for rabies," said John Caldwell of the S.P.C.A.
Campbell was later transferred to the Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania to undergo extensive surgery to reconnect her scalp.
"She's not able to breath on her own yet, but when the surgery's complete, she'll be o.k.," said Destiny's father Daywon Drumon.
Robinson was arrested for a probation violation and was charged with two counts of offensive touching for spitting on a cameraman according to police. She was also cited in the dog attack.
S.P.C.A. officials cited Robinson for failure to inoculate and license her dog. Officials said it was not the first dog they have confiscated from her.
Under Delaware law, Pit Bulls within the city limits of Wilmington must be registered.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)