Jiryiah Johnson died Monday after he was attacked by three pit bulls belonging to a babysitter. Credit: Courtesy Photo / GoFundMe

A San Antonio-area toddler died Monday in a dog attack, and one person is now in custody related to the incident.

One-year-old Jiryiah Johnson died Monday evening at University Hospital after three pit bulls owned by a babysitter attacked the child, according to the Express-News.

The attack happened Monday afternoon at a home in the 9700 block of Spruce Ridge Drive in Converse, where 36-year-old Heather Rodriguez was babysitting Johnson, according to the daily. However, Rodriguez departed from the home, leaving her 13-year-old daughter to keep an eye on the toddler, the paper reports.

At some point, Rodriguez’s three pit bulls made their way into the room where the child was sleeping and initiated an attack, the Express-News reports.

According to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, one dog pulled Johnson from the bed while another joined the frenzy. The teenage daughter entered the room and tried to fight off the canines, getting into a “tug-of-war” between them with Johnson in the middle, the sheriff said.

“At a certain point, she had to break away and physically left the baby behind in the bathroom … and she went to get her cell phone to call for help,” Salazar told reporters during a Monday press conference.

A verified GoFundMe has been launched to help Johnson’s mother.

Rodriguez was arrested and charged with injury to a child, causing bodily injury by omission, according to authorities.

San Antonio Animal Care Services have since detained the three dogs responsible for Johnson’s death.

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This article appears in Sep 18-24, 2024.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...