Mom Tries To Save 4-Year-Old By Stabbing Pit Bull as It Mauls Him To Death

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Only a few months after a 9-year-old girl died from a pit bull attack in Detroit, another Michigan child was viciously mauled to death by a 60-pound pit bull. The boy's family had been watching the dog for a friend October 29 when the dog suddenly pounced on 4-year-old Benjamin Cobb as his mother, Brandi Halterman, desperately tried to save him.

Police were called to the home around 6:45 p.m. October 29, after the boy's 14-year-old sister frantically dialed 911.

The teen told the dispatcher her mother was still trying to fight the dog off of her younger brother — first with a pair of scissors and then with a kitchen knife, the Detroit Free Press reported.

“The mom was in the room at the same time," Hazel Park Police Chief Brian Buchholz told WXYZ. "She heard a low growl, turned and the attack was already happening."

Officers who responded to the call remarked on the horrifying noises they heard before they went into the house. 

“They heard the screaming," Buchholz said, adding that "they didn’t know what they were responding to. But they knew it was bad."

When police finally arrived, they were forced to tase the 1-year-old dog, who still had a hold on the little boy.

The dog had a wound in its side from where Halterman had stabbed it, but after being tased, the pit bull ran out of the house. Police later found the animal and had it euthanized. 

Meanwhile, Benjamin was rushed to a hospital, where doctors discovered serious wounds on his neck and body, according to Today. By that point, he was beyond treatment and was pronounced dead that night. 

The boy's mother also had injuries, receiving 20 stitches for cuts on her hands and fingers, but was ultimately released.

On Wednesday, the Hazel Park Police Department released a statement to People, during which it officially ruled the death an accident. 

"A preliminary finding appears that this case was a tragic incident,” police stated in an email. “The Hazel Park Police Department extends its sympathy to the family and friends of the deceased.”

Neighbors of the family are absolutely heartbroken over the attack that claimed the life of the innocent little boy.

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A neighbor, Tracy Johns, told WXYZ that the death was “absolutely devastating."

A statement the family gave to the news station explained that they had not been given any indication that the dog was aggressive before agreeing to pet sit.

Buchholz added that the dog was unlicensed with the city. Radio station WWJ reported that the dog had only been with the family for one day before the attack.

“I can’t imagine what they’re going through," Buchholz said. “This is a tragedy and a traumatic, horrific event. It was hard for our firefighters and officers to respond to. Being a part of the family, the mother or a sister to the victim, I can’t imagine what they’re going through.”

A GoFundMe campaign started by a family member has already raised more than $30,000 to put toward funeral costs. 

"We experienced a family's worst nightmare when a dog took the life of Benjamin," the page description read. "No words can ever explain the depth of our love for him. This has taken an unimaginable toll on our family, friends, and all those who knew our sweet boy."