Boy, 2, mauled to death by family’s German shepherd after stumbling on top of dog that had ‘known him since birth’
A TWO-year-old boy was mauled to death by his family's German Shepherd after he stumbled on top of it.
Little Dexter Yael was killed when the dog - which had been with their family for four years - latched onto his neck after the boy fell on top of it at their home in Costa Rica.
Dexter’s mother, Yojebeth Guevara, was also bitten while trying to protect her son from the attack on Monday.
Two neighbours also suffered injuries while trying to pull the dog away.
Dexter's dad Alex Guerra told local media: "From what I understand, my son kind of stumbled on top of the dog and that’s when it attacked him.
"The dog was used to my son.
READ MORE WORLD
"They’d been together since he was a newborn."
Their neighbour Óscar Rodríguez was eventually able to drag the German Shepherd off the boy.
The youngster was subsequently rushed to hospital but later died from his injuries.
Rubén Rodríguez, president of the Canine Federation of Costa Rica, visited the home and said the dog was well looked after with plenty of space to move around the property.
Most read in The Sun
The animal has now been seized by the National Animal Health Service, which will decide on its fate in the coming days.
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY...
The Sun is your go to destination for the best celebrity news, football news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
Download our fantastic, new and improved free App for the best ever Sun Online experience. For iPhone click, for Android click.
Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at .