CARTERET, New Jersey (WABC) A dog attack left a child dead and his mother seriously injured in New Jersey Tuesday, authorities say.
Middlesex County officials say the incident happened around 4:30 p.m. at a home on East Laurel Street in Carteret.
They say police responded to the report of a dog attack.
A preliminary investigation determined the child was killed and his mother was seriously injured after they were attacked by two dogs.
Neighbors say they heard the screams.
One neighbor told Eyewitness News that he looked out the window and thought they were playing with the dog. But he quickly realized they were not playing.
Ronald DeFeo Jr. was convicted of killing his entire family inside their Amityville home in 1974.
Mayor Daniel Reiman said that according to municipal records from the Board of Health, the dogs were not registered with the town, as is required by law. Both dogs were euthanized after the attack. As a small community, our Carteret family mourns the heart-wrenching loss of our young neighbor, he said. We pray for this young mother and family in this time of unimaginable grief.
Neighbors said that the dogs were allowed to roam free in the neighborhood, and one said they didn t let their own children play outside as a result.