A woman whose 6-month-old son was attacked by two pit bulls in Murrieta after she left him alone with the animals has been charged with felony child endangerment. . The attack occurred in April inside a condominium on Arboretum Way. The baby boy was fastened in a car seat and had been bitten by a pit pull while the boy’s mother and a male friend were in another room. Police said the diaper was ripped off and the boy was bitten on the scrotum, leaving the child with permanent injuries. Both dogs, a 70-pound pit bull and a 60-pound pit bull-mix, were taken by animal control officers from Animal Friends of the Valleys and later euthanized.
Child endangerment can be charged as a felony or misdemeanor depending on the circumstances of the case and the degree of endangerment that the child is exposed to. If the child is exposed to harm under conditions where great bodily injury or death is NOT likely, and the person willfully causes or permits the child to suffer, or inflicts thereon unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering, or, having the care or custody of any child, willfully causes or permits the person or health of that child to be injured, or willfully causes or permits that child to be placed in a situation where his or her health may be endangered, is guilty of a misdemeanor. If, on the other hand, the child is exposed to harm under conditions where death or great bodily injury IS likely, and the person willfully causes or permits any child to suffer, or inflicts thereon unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering, or having the care or custody of any child, willfully causes or permits the person or health of that child to be injured, or willfully causes or permits that child to be placed in a situation where his or her person or health is endangered, shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or in the state prison for two, four, or six years.
In this case the mother of this poor infant is facing up to 6 years in prison and has already lost custody of her children. If you or a loved one are facing felony child endangerment charges in Southern California then don’t hesitate to contact the competent and experienced attorneys at the law firm of Wallin & Klarich. We’ll be there when you call or check us out at www.wklaw.com.