The Antelope Valley Times

Your community. Your issues. Your news.

Boy mauled by dogs needs your help

by •

ANTELOPE VALLEY – This past holiday season was supposed to be one of the most important times of young Carlos Blakely’s life. The 6-year-old Las Vegas resident was meeting his biological father and grandparents for the first time, and he was spending the holidays with them in the Antelope Valley.

“His family was very excited and they wanted to take him everywhere and show him off,” said mother Julieta Campos. “They took him to [Lake Los Angeles] because they have a cabin out there.”

The family reunion took a tragic turn this past Sunday, when little Carlos was viciously attacked by a pack of dogs outside of the Lake Los Angeles home.

Deputies responded to a call regarding a vicious dog attack, around 2:55 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 30), in the 20700 Block of East Avenue J, according to a news release by the Lancaster Station. The boy’s injuries were so severe, he had to be airlifted to the Loma Linda University Medical Center for treatment.

“I don’t know what would make any dog do this,” Campos said. “What would make their rage so bad to want to eat a child? That’s what they were doing, they were eating my son.”

Campos said the attack was witnessed by her 9-year-old daughter, Christina Blakely. She said both children went out front, for just a moment, to retrieve a toy that Carlos had left outside.

“They found the toy and my daughter started walking back towards the cabin to go inside, and I guess, at that point, the dogs were already there looking at him,” Campos said. “When he turned around and started to go back [to the house], that’s when they started attacking him.”

She said Carlos was fully conscious during the attack. Four dogs were present, but only three of them attacked Carlos – two German Shepherds and a Bullmastiff, Campos said. As the dogs mauled her son, her daughter raced into the house to get help, Campos said.

“Her Grandpa came out and started yelling at the dogs,” Campos said. “They got scared because he was a lot bigger, so they ran.”

She said the traumatized grandparents called authorities for help. When Campos heard the news, she dropped everything, and drove to California from Las Vegas.

“It was the longest drive, I just wanted to get here so bad,” Campos said. “It was just breaking my heart that I couldn’t be right next to him and tell him that I was there for him.”

Campos said nothing could have prepared her for the extent of her son’s injuries.

“They took a piece of his scalp, a piece of his ear, he has lacerations that go from his ear to his mouth, they cut one of the nerves on the corner of his lip, so he can only talk and smile with the left side,” Campos said. “He has two bites on his arm that required stitching, he has bite marks that go from his back to his little butt and down his legs, he has a few stitches in the legs, and he has bruises and scratches all over his body.”

Campos said she made it to the hospital while her son was in surgery, and said she struggled to pull herself together as her son came out of the recovery room.

“He looked so bad at that time, I just didn’t know what to think, I didn’t know what to do,” she said. “I knew I needed to be strong for him, he couldn’t see me cry because if I break down, that means he’s going to break down.”

9-year-old Christina Blakely (left) witnessed part of the attack.

Campos believes the strength, love and prayers from family members have worked wonders for Carlos’ recovery. She says her son has been recuperating quickly and he’s even managed to keep his spirits up. Carlos is already walking around and trying to do things on his own, Campos said.

“Everyone has been really nice to him, they’ve been telling him things like he’s a miracle baby, and that he’s a beautiful child, regardless of what he looks like now,” Campos said. “But we still have to watch him because he still has a lot of wounds.”

The family has been staying at the Ronald McDonald House, across the street from the Loma Linda Medical Center. They will be returning to Las Vegas within the next week, Campos said.

An animal control officer brought pictures to the family of the four dogs believed to be involved in the attack, and Carlos identified three of the four dogs as the culprits. Campos said she has not given much thought to the dogs since the attack.

“At this time, I only know that there are three owners, but I have not gotten in contact with any of them. I’m just trying to help my son recuperate first,” she said.

Carlos will likely suffer permanent scarring, Campos said.

“In the future, cosmetic surgery is something that I would have to look at for him, so we are trying to gather up some funds to be able to do that for him,” she said. “He’s never going to be back to normal, but in order for him to have a chance at looking like a normal person, he would require cosmetic surgery.”

Campos has established a bank account in her son’s name and is hoping to obtain donations from the community that would help defray the cost of cosmetic surgery.

To donate to this effort, visit any local Chase bank and request to make a donation to the account of Carlos Alexander Blakely. More pictures of Carlos Blakely are here.

The four dogs taken into custody after Sunday’s attack remain at the County Department of Animal Care and Control’s Lancaster Center. Animal control officers Thursday said the three dogs identified in the attack will be held until an investigation is concluded. They could not say what would happen to the dogs at the end of the investigation. The fourth dog will be available for adoption, because its owner did not want the dog anymore, said animal control officers.

Carlos ID’d the three dogs on the left as his attackers. The dog on the far right was present, but did not attack. That dog may be put up for adoption, animal control officers said.

 

–

49 comments for "Boy mauled by dogs needs your help"

  2. Dear God this poor little boy was chewed up by dogs….I say the owners of the dogs pay for anything the child needs and donations are a good thing!! Prayers for you Dear Carlos…I can only imagine the pain you are suffering…you must be extra brave <3

  3. My name is Jason Blakely, Carlos is my nephew. My parents were the ones who were present during this horrific incident. A very special thank you to the AV Times and M. Dilworth for writing this article. Lets not loose sight as to what occurred. A six year old boy was viciously attacked by a pack of dogs. Carlos needs our prayers and intensive medical treatment. Keep in mind, he is a child and if he could read some of these comments, it would devastate him emotionally. I have personally seen his injuries and they are heart breaking. I love my nephew and let’s keep any and all comments positive and uplifting!!!! I thank those with whom have responded with their concern for my nephew.

  4. All I can say is WOW! Think about your family. What would you do if this was your son, grandson, nephew, cousin, etc..? You would want to help him in any and every way you could. I do understand some people try to scam others but, I truly believe these people are not. I have prayed and continue to pray for this little boy. So if it is not in your heart to help, know God provides everything needed.

    • Yes the spa should go ahead and donate a big chech but do not use this tradegy to get a Free big huge ad for the buss.

      • So when any major retailer runs an ad saying x amount of your purchase goes to charity, your against that? Maybe these business owners feel compelled to donate but cant afford to… Maybe the 15 dollars on the 65 dollar purchase is their entire profit margin. Possibly they are providing a service and not profiting from it. You know like when you buy girl scout cookies and the girl scouts have to pay to make the cookies. They keep the profit margin….

  5. If this kid was white it would of been a different story all people would of been donating…..[removed]

  6. Thank you Splendors day Spa ,and the Av Times, for Helping this child,When its a child hurt.Thats when the real men and woman do anything to help.

  7. Eddie Barragan and Yadira Barragan of Splendors Day Spa in Lancaster will donate $15 for every “Spa Special” card sold at $65 and give the money to the family of the little boy who was mauled recently provided that you mention the mauling at the time of purchase.

    The spa card includes 4 separate 30 minute spa sessions — yes, you must have four separate visits to the spa (30 minute combo oxygen bar and massage session, 30 minute combo oxygen bar and mini facial session, 30 minute combo oxygen bar and pedicure session, and 30 minute combo oxygen bar and waxing session). Total value is $350.00.

    Additionally, if any charitable organization (church, school, social service agency, charitable group) in the AV needs a fundraiser, Splendors will also allow your group to sell the cards in the same fashion and keep $15 per card for your group — again provided that the spa owners may verify that the money is going to a charitable cause.

    Splendors Day Spa is located at 659 West Avenue J at the corner of Elm in the Dentist4theUninsured Building between Sierra Highway and 10th St. West)

    Please call Eddie or Yadira at 661-729-9282 for additional information.
    15 hours ago

      • People like you are the people that make are city look bad,why dont you move back where you came from .Cant you see these people are trying to help this little boy and what have you done accept put your dumb article in

        • Av times staff i love your paper i use to read the av press,Los angeles times,But now i found the paper that i find has great Journalism,and a Pulitzer prize staff

      • It’s no different than what these big corporations do when they offer to donate $1 for every $2 you spend. This way everyone wins the child, the spa, and the patron

  8. Everyone should thank our great news the Av Times.They went out of there way to help this young child thats the type of people we like.

  9. Wow. Just WOW! It’s a sad state of affairs for our community when ANYONE can come on here and try to find fault with donations for a 6 YEAR OLD CHILD who was brutally attacked by three big dogs IN OUR COMMUNITY not even a week ago.

    • We want to let people no the goodness in our city. Thats why it is a great idea about donating to this young child and the family.Again thanks to you all at the Av Times for going all out,with this great article.Thank you very much Dave

  11. i believe the owners of the dogs should be liable for any medical costs. going from experience when my brother was mauled by a dog the owner had to cover any bills

  12. Although I am sympathetic,,, I believe seeking these donations is misguided. The Grandparents whose home property the attack occurred at should have homeowners insurance. Their insurance should cover this. The homeowners insurance company will use their full force to recoup the loss from the dog owners. Although I hope this child gets the surgeries he needs, the liable parties should be the ones paying…

    • My sister has not worked for the past week since she has been in California medication alone is very expensive and while maybe the homeowners insurance my cover any damage incounter on their property all we are doing is trying to help out with Carlos recovery now. We can’t wait to see if the bills will get paid later by insurance. Yes he was visiting his grandparents in California his medical insurance is in Las Vegas. Just for one of his medication it was $250 dollars but its not like she can wait to get it when she has money her son needs it now to help in his recovery. She is not trying to scam anybody of their money or make money of her sons misery but it was a tragic accident right after the holidays and she was not prepared she is a hard working mother of four kids. I want to thank anyone in advance for prying for his recovery and helping out! As a mother myself I know how hard it is to raise kids on your own. Now it’s even harder when something unexpected happens and your not prepared. Even harder when my nephew would ask his mommy if they are going to fix his face. All she wants is to try and do anything in her power for her son to have a chance to be as normal as he was before he was hurt. And if cosmetic surgery is the solution then we will do our best to make his wish come true. We are just happy that it didn’t end worst. We still have the opportunity to enjoy his laughter.

      • Why would his insurance only be valid in las vegas? Ive never heard of health insurance that doesnt cover emergency medical care outside of the state of issuance. Also who is the trustee of this account at the bank?
        Is it just a regular bank account or is it a fund that requires direct accounting of expenditures? Lastly have you tried contacting Childrens Hospital or Shriners? Both have excellent plastic surgeons and do a lot of charity work.

        Forgive me if I sound insensitive, I just want to know that all the resources currently in place for events like this arent available to this child before I make a donation. Unfortunately I have seen people attempt to profit from tragic events like this before. I am in no way saying thats what type of people the family is, I just think people might donate more readily if some of these questions were answered.

        • WOW! I don’t remember all these questions for the Baby Madison fund raising. People just gave because they knew they needed help. This kid got mauled by 3 dogs, Really! You must be planing to make a pretty sizable donation when you discover the mauling isn’t some scam to get free money.

          I hate to compare the the two incidents, but in one case the child died and people gave. This child lived. HE will need every act of kindness possible including donations.

          • That’s because the family did not ask for money. Plastic surgery is not even a consideration until he is healed and the extent of the damage can be assessed. Everybody feels bad for this kid, but he does have insurance, the family is at Ronald McDonald house and they link families to other supports such as medical cost coverage asking the public for money is just tacky and exploiting of the child. If anything this boy should be flooded with well wishes, a visit from a therapy dog, and maybe a trust in his name for his own future. The owner of the dogs can be sued and he is the one who should be paying for this boy’s future surgeries, (or grandparent’s home coverage). This boy will most likely need therapy for PTSD, but I don’t think the public should be asked to pay. The owner should also have to pay adoption cost of the one good dog he chose to abandon after his own negligence.

          • Dude,the baby died, the mother was hospitalized and those parents had to bury their only child.
            I don’t recall them coming on here asking for money, I believe someone else set up a fund for them.Not the same at all.

          • before you guys start saying what this family should and shouldnt do just put your self in there shoes its obvious that the child needs plastic surgery there not scamming any one for anything .. have some respect for this family and this poor little boy .. shes a single mother of 4 children and so am i . its not easy and she just wants to make sure that her son can be treated and have the surgery he needs to give him a life he deserves after this nightmare ..

          • Maybe because these guys know Madison’s family…being in law enforcement or working for the fire dept….just saying.
            Maybe that’s why they “trust” them and not this family from Vegas.
            I will be visiting the Spa. Thanks for the info and as far as I’m concerned, when I donate money to the family, they can spend it at Disneyland or take a cruise. I am not asking for a receipt..there is a thing called “goodwill giving”. The true meaning of charity. This poor family has had a tramatic holiday and I hope the little boy recovers and is strong.

        • I believe that free state funded insurance programs like those provided to low income families or those on state assistance are only good within the state. Unless they apply for California assistance. Then California might approve them vs. Nevada.

          • so if you have something negative to say and dont want to help this child then just keep your rude comments and suggestions to your self .. end of story and my heart goes out the the family and this child i will be praying for you

  14. the owners of the dogs are liable. and should be cited/fined and made to appear in court just likes parents of unruly children. and their homeowners insurance should pay ALL medical costs. current and future. people should think twice before getting these vicious animals (to protect their property) and then let them run wild and attack people on their own property.

    • dogs are only as vicious or umsupervised as their owners allow. My dogs dont go in the backyard unless im home otherwise there in a cage. But if you come in their yard they will defend so does that make them vicious?

      • I dont understand why you have a ‘pet’ if it must remain caged. that’s another issue. another problem is the individuals that ‘drop off’ unwanted puppies out in the desert. they ‘grow up’ in survival mode. run in packs. attack other domestic animals ‘pets’ and people. this is more cruel than taking them to the pound. people need to be accountable.

  16. We should ban dogs. Thats the only way to prevent this from happening again. Come to think of it…we should ban children also (just to be safe)

    • can you not be so rude and ignorant? not every issue needs to turn into a ban this ban that topic. Why not share your sympathy and condolences and support for the family instead of turning into an irrelevant issue. I feel sorry for you since your a woman id at least expected compassion not too act like an ignorant person.

      I send out my prayers and condolences to the family. As a dog owner i constantly have to stay on top of them or keep them caged. Its in a dogs nature to be a predator, its up to the owner to properly supervise said animal. Its amazing how people in general just take this responsibility as a joke. Same with drinking and driving

      • If you have to keep your dogs caged or constantly be watching them, then somewhere along the line, you messed up as a doggie parent. The owners of these dogs are completely & totally at fault for what happened to this poor little boy! Praying his recovery is as quick and painless as possible!

      • And your dogs are just the ones who will maul or kill if they ever escape your yard.What kind of existence is that, caged or you have to stay on top of them?
        Dogs need socialization and training.Shame on you.

          • the only reason i keep my dogs caged up unfortunately is because of the neighbors dogs that keep breaking into my yard. Im not going to try and convince anybody of anything, but my dogs are very socialized and well behaved. I just believe in being proactive to prevent a tragedy before it happens.

    • If a drunk driver kills someone we should ban cars and alcohol. If smoking kills we should ban cigarettes. If someone adjusting their radio has an accident we should ban car stereos. Where would it end?

  17. Thank you av times for helping this child,All of you at the av times are the heroes of 2013.You should really feel proud of yourselves.Thank you very much Dave