Dog mauls 3-day-old as parents watch

A 3-day-old baby was fatally mauled by a pet dog in front of the child’s parents at their home Thursday night, San Diego police said Friday.

The parents were in bed, watching TV, with their newborn son and pit bull-mix dog when the mother coughed, startling the dog, child abuse unit Sgt. Tu Nguyen said.

The dog reacted by biting the baby, he said. The parents pulled the animal off and raced the child to a hospital, where he was declared dead.

“At this time it appears to be a tragic accident,” Nguyen said. “It’s such a horrific, tragic case.”

Nguyen said he didn’t know if the couple has other children, but no other children were removed from the home or placed in other care.

Nguyen said the investigation will be completed after an autopsy confirms the cause of death.

The dog, a 2-year-old, neutered male American Staffordshire terriermix, will be held in10-day quarantine to determine whether it has rabies.