`Vicious dogs` kill California man, critically injure mother

USPA News - A man has died and his mother remains in a critical condition after they were `viciously attacked` by a pack of pit bull dogs at a home in Central California, local authorities said on Wednesday. All four dogs were shot and killed by responding police officers.

The incident happened at around 5:46 p.m. local time on Tuesday when sheriff`s deputies were called to reports of dogs attacking a man outside a residence in Modesto, a city in Stanislaus County, just east of San Francisco. When deputies arrived, they found three dogs "actively and viciously" mauling a man in the backyard of the residence, with a fourth dog circling the victim. A Stanislaus County Sheriff`s Department spokesperson said the deputies, fearing for the man`s life, immediately shot and killed two of the pit bulls, which prompted the other two dogs to flee into an adjacent residential yard. Other officers then proceeded to set up a perimeter around the adjacent yard to temporarily contain the dogs while the victim was evacuated to waiting paramedics nearby. When searching the residence, officers located an elderly woman who was suffering from multiple traumatic bite wounds. "The female reported that she too had been attacked and mauled by the dogs," the sheriff`s department spokesperson said. "Paramedics transported both male and female victim to a local hospital." After both victims were rushed to a local hospital, officers attempted but failed to capture the two remaining pit bulls. "Both were vicious, aggressive and charged the deputies. Fearing for the safety of others in the community, including children in the neighborhood should the dogs manage to escape containment, deputies shot and killed the remaining two pit bulls," the sheriff`s department spokesperson explained. The two victims of the attack were identified as 59-year-old Juan Fernandez and his 77-year-old mother Maria Fernandez, both of Modesto. Fernandez died on Wednesday due to the "devastating traumatic injuries" he suffered in the attack while his mother remained in a critical condition. Authorities said the owners of the dogs have been identified and are cooperating with law enforcement, but no criminal charges were filed pending the outcome of an investigation.