Coyote Euthanized After Atwater Village Toddler Attack

A coyote was euthanized in Atwater Village, Los Angeles, after a reported attack on a 16-month-old child on October 16, 2026. California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers found the animal near the Glenhurst Avenue location where the child was bitten. The child received hospital treatment and was released, while DNA testing will determine whether officials euthanized the coyote responsible.

The incident followed months of complaints from residents who said a coyote had become unusually comfortable around people. According to accounts reported by the Los Angeles Times, neighbors had raised concerns since at least January, when a resident allegedly began feeding the animal.

Wildlife officers collected DNA samples from the child and the euthanized coyote to establish whether the animal was responsible for the attack. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said officers had received previous tips about suspected illegal feeding of coyotes in the neighborhood.

Dan Bree, a resident living about two blocks from the attack site, said neighbors had contacted city animal services and state wildlife officials since at least June. He said he had also tried to organize funding for a coyote trap, but residents were reluctant to allow one on their properties.

Bree described the neighbors' reaction after the child was bitten.

"We were all, like, 'well, there it is,'" said Dan Bree.

Richard Dean, another resident, supplied emails showing that he had repeatedly urged Los Angeles Animal Services to intervene. In a June 19 message to an agency officer, he warned that continued inaction could lead to a serious injury.

"I have to insist that you take actual action against these coyotes in Atwater Village. I am not asking. I am telling you. If you continue this course of inaction someone is going to get seriously hurt," Richard Dean wrote.

Los Angeles Animal Services said it was concerned about the incident and acknowledged residents' worries about coyote activity. Agency spokesperson Agnes Sibal-von Debschitz said an animal control officer had visited the property of the person accused of feeding the coyote on May 20. The individual denied feeding the animal, and the officer found no evidence of a violation.

The agency said it subsequently contacted residents who submitted complaints, provided information about coyote behavior and consulted with state wildlife officials. It also explained that proving an illegal feeding violation requires evidence that investigators had not found.

In its statement, the agency described its response to the complaints.

"The Department did not disregard these complaints," Agnes Sibal-von Debschitz wrote.

Joe Marconi, who lives across the street from the person accused of feeding the coyote, said he had repeatedly encountered the animal near his home. He said he once had to chase it away after it sent his cat up a tree and that it had scratched at his screen door. Marconi also described occasions when he intervened after seeing the coyote near his 7-year-old daughter.

Marconi said residents struggled to obtain effective intervention from authorities.

"The general kind of response was that there was nothing that could be done," said Joe Marconi.

Rebecca Dmytryk, chief executive of Humane Wildlife Control, said the animal's apparent comfort around people suggested it had become accustomed to human contact. She said she had also contacted authorities and submitted a complaint through the state wildlife agency's tip line on July 28.

Dmytryk said the injury could have been prevented through earlier intervention.

"This situation required intervention long before a child was injured," Rebecca Dmytryk wrote. "Now a child has been hurt, and a coyote is dead."

Her July complaint described a coyote lingering in a resident's backyard, sleeping on top of a vehicle and following people. The complaint attributed the behavior to the animal associating humans with food.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife acknowledged receiving tips about suspected illegal coyote feeding, spokesperson Cort Klopping said. The agency said officers had followed up on those reports and were investigating allegations that a resident intentionally fed coyotes.

Klopping said officers generally would not attempt to capture a coyote solely because of such reports unless an incident, such as an animal biting someone, warranted further action.

The department advises people who encounter an approaching coyote to maintain a safe distance, retreat slowly and keep children and pets close. It also recommends making loud noises, appearing larger by waving one's arms and allowing the animal to leave the immediate area. Anyone contacted by a coyote should fight back and then call animal control or 911, according to the department's guidance.

A community meeting was scheduled for Tuesday to discuss the incident in Atwater Village, according to the October 20 report published by Yahoo.