Colorado Woman Charged With Child Abuse After Her Dog Attacked 4-Year-Old Stepbrother

A Colorado woman has been arrested on charges of child abuse after her dog attacked and injured her stepbrother.

Zara Diaz, 21, was arrested Friday after her stepbrother, 4-year-old John Torres-Diaz III, was attacked by her dog on Jan. 11.

Diaz was arrested on charges of unreasonably placing a child in a situation that poses a threat of injury to the boy's life or health, according to the arrest affidavit. She was also charged with unlawful ownership of a dangerous dog, reported local news outlet KRDO.

The boy suffered a severe laceration above his left lip after he was attacked by Diaz's dog Rebel, a pit bull mix. He underwent a surgery at the Children’s hospital in Colorado Springs on Tuesday and is recovering from the injuries.

The incident happened when Torres-Diaz along with his father were at Diaz’s residence. The father was in the kitchen when he heard a growl from the child’s room. He then found the child “hunched over and grabbing his face.” The boy was then rushed to the emergency room for treatment.

Diaz told the investigators that 8-year-old Rebel was cranky at times and suffered from arthritis. She said the dog was throwing up and had diarrhea that day. She also claimed her stepbrother had been known to play rough with the dog, KRDO reported.

Torres-Diaz’s mother Desaray Paciorek was at work at the time of the attack. She told the investigators that her 6-year-old son was also in the room along with the victim during the attack. According to Paciorek, Torres-Diaz was attacked when he bent down and tried to pet the dog on his face, KRDO reported.

According to the court documents, the dog was previously involved in another attack. Rebel had attacked an 18-year-old woman last year. The woman had suffered injuries to her face and arm, but the incident was not reported to the police. The medical records of the incident recommended that no unattended children should be left with the dog. Rebel is now being held at a nearby shelter.

Many cities in Colorado have long-standing bans on ownership of pit bulls. The city of Denver recently lifted its 31-year-old ban on ownership of pit bulls. The new law allows the owners to keep two pit bulls if they have a special permit that shows the dogs are vaccinated and microchipped.