Police looking for owner of dog that bit 6-year-old boy on face, arm

EDMONDS -- Police are searching for the owner of a dog that bit a 6-year-old boy on the face at a public beach.

After the terrifying bites, detectives say, the owner ran off with his pit bull before help could even arrive.

The attack happened on Aug. 19 at Brackett’s Landing, a popular beach park for families in Edmonds.

“We like to see the trains, the ferry; sand is soft,” Edmonds resident Heather Jacobo said.

Detectives say the dog was not only not on a leash but at the park that doesn’t even allow dogs.

“The dog owner was throwing a stick into the water playing fetch, the dog came out of the water and bit the boy in the face and in the arm,” Edmonds police Sgt. Shane Hawley said.

Right before the attack, the boy`s mom just happened to be taking cell phone video of her son playing and inadvertently captured the pit bull and its owner on camera.

Police say the picture isn’t the best quality but they are hoping someone will recognize him.

“The owner put the dog on the leash, which he had available, and then told the mom and young boy something to the effect of, 'I am going to get something from the car',  just left and never came back."

“That`s absolute injustice that is infuriating to me,” Jacobo said.

But police say the man’s disappearing act isn`t a crime, something Jacobo could not believe.

“That`s shocking, that`s shocking to me,” Jacobo said.

“As a parent, you think about your own kids when something like that happens,” Jacobo said.

Police say the boy has puncture wounds to his mouth area, chin, and arms. He was treated and released from the hospital last week.

Detectives say it’s urgent they track down the man so they can quarantine his dog to check for rabies and to verify it hasn’t been aggressive before.

Anyone who can identify the man or the dog is encouraged to call Animal Control Officer Debbie Dawson at 425-771-0205.