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Relatives Arrested In Fremont Dog Mauling

Updated: 9:17 am PDT June 7, 2008

A sister and an aunt of a baby boy who was attacked and seriously injured by the family's dog May 27 in Fremont have been taken into custody on child endangerment and maintaining a dangerous animal charges, according to authorities.

Annette Hodgson, the boy's 37-year-old aunt and baby sitter, and Samantha Alaniz, the boy's 22-year-old sister, were arrested around 4:30 p.m. Friday without incident at their home, Fremont police Det. Bill Veteran said.

Hodgson was being held Saturday at Fremont City Jail in lieu of $105,000 bail while Alaniz was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Authorities said the attack took place at 2:45 p.m. Tuesday when an adult male boxer named Tyson lunged at the child in the front room of a Fremont home. The infant sustained injuries to his face and neck, and was taken to Oakland Children’s Hospital where he underwent surgery.

Veteran said at the time of the attack the boy was with his sister and an aunt.

“The child was in the living room with two female adults --.one is an adult sister. The other...an aunt,” Veteran said. “For no apparent reason the dog lunged out and grabbed the child by the face and the neck.”

Veteran said it was the second time in two weeks that the dog had attacked someone at the house. Police took the dog out of the home two weeks ago after it had bitten an adult, but returned it after the family said it was not a threat.

After Tuesday’s attack, family members admitted to police they downplayed the May 11 incident to have the dog released.

“A lot of that is coming to light now,” Veteran said. “In fact, the dog was aggressive to the child back then...had we known that the dog probably would not have been returned to the family.”

The dog was euthanized Friday by Fremont animal control, Veteran said.

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