Coyote mauls 2-year-old on front porch in Dallas

DALLAS (AP) — Police say a 2-year-old child has been hospitalized in critical condition after being mauled by a coyote on the front porch of the child’s Dallas home.

The attack happened about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in a neighborhood just north of White Rock Lake in Dallas.

A police statement says a responding officer subsequently spotted the coyote in a park near the child’s home and opened fire on the animal, which retreated into nearby woods.

Police say it’s unknown if the officer wounded the animal, but a search with a game warden began.

Police warned neighborhood residents that the coyote should be considered extremely dangerous.