The incident happened north of the pier around 9:45 p.m. on Thursday, according to the Huntington Beach Police Department. When they arrived, police found the injured child, but it is not clear who he was with at the time of the attack. The unknown girl, whose age was not known, was taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries. Police say officers shot two coyotes on the beach after the attack Thursday night. A coyote was found dead on the beach Friday morning near PCH and Goldenwest Street, but authorities do not believe he was involved in the attack. Although the animal that attacked the girl has not been identified, police expect to be found dead due to his injuries. Garie Joncon says he spotted the coyote before chasing the victim. “It was all the way down here and then it came back,” Joncon said. “We saw him and suddenly he came in from this family and he was a child on the ground, and then like about five minutes, we went back, the whole crowd around the baby. The baby obviously became a little bit.” Locals say coyote sightings are not uncommon and police say they have recently stepped up trapping efforts across the city. “It’s scary when they’re so close to you because they’re older and you really have no defense,” said Huntington Beach resident Diana Broderick. He urges beach visitors to always be on the lookout. Any coyote appearances in the area are kindly requested by calling 714-960-8811 or visit the Huntington Beach Coyote Incident Report here. Copyright © 2022 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
