A California man's life was tragically cut short when he was reportedly mauled by his three dogs near a children's playground. Pedro Luis Ortega, just 26 years old, was attacked by his XL bullies while taking a stroll in Mesa Viking Neighborhood Park in San Diego around midday on Friday, December 13th, as reported by the San Diego Police Department through various news outlets like Fox 8 News, NBC 7 San Diego, and NBC News.

Tragic Incident Reveals Dangers of Uncontrolled Dogs

Details of the Attack

Ortega was viciously bitten multiple times during the attack, according to the police. Simultaneously, a second person tried to intervene and ended up sustaining "serious bite injuries." Both victims were rushed to the hospital, where Ortega unfortunately passed away. The injuries of the second victim are believed to be non-life-threatening. A child who was with Ortega was found unharmed, as reported by Fox 8 News.Police arrived on the scene and used a taser on the dogs, causing them to run off. Several other people in the park also attempted to stop the attack using shovels and a golf club found at the scene, as per multiple outlets.

Aftermath and Actions Taken

A spokesperson for the nonprofit organization Humane Society, Nina Thompson, informed NBC 7 San Diego that upon their arrival, the humane officers worked together to locate two of the still-loose dogs and impounded a third dog that was contained in a car. The three dogs were placed into bite quarantine before being euthanized on Saturday, December 14th. Their remains are being tested for rabies, as per reports.Witness Paul Ngo recounted the attack to NBC News, saying, "I saw a person running around with three dogs. I noticed that he was constantly repeating like, 'Hey, be gentle, be nice.'" Another local witness, Steve Marto, told NBC 7 San Diego, "I just saw [the police] had something trapped in the weeds over here. I thought it was a person at first because they were talking about setting up a perimeter," referring to the dogs being captured.

Ongoing Investigation

An investigation into the attack is currently in progress. The San Diego Police Department is fully committed to conducting a thorough and careful review of this incident in collaboration with their law enforcement partners, as stated by Thompson. PEOPLE has reached out to the SDPD and the Humane Society for further comment at this time.This tragic incident serves as a reminder of the potential dangers that can arise from uncontrolled dogs and the importance of proper animal control and safety measures. It is a story that highlights the need for greater awareness and vigilance when it comes to the well-being of both humans and animals in public spaces.