A Southern California family is mourning the loss of a 12-year-old boy who jumped into a lake to escape three vicious dogs and drowned.
Cops responded to a drowning call June 18 for 12-year-old Fernando Torres Moreno who had jumped in the Central Park Lake in Kern County after running from vicious dogs and did not come up, the California City Police Department said.
When police arrived they found the young boy in the water. Cops also discovered a second child, a young girl, who was suffering from “non-life threatening” dog bites.
The boy was transported to the hospital and life-saving efforts were started. The girl was also taken to a nearby hospital where she was treated for her injuries and released.
Witness statements led cops to 68-year-old Kenneth Dobbins who told police he was in the park with his three dogs, adding they were with him the whole time. Dobbins was not taken into custody.
However, the young boy later died at the hospital on June 19.
As cops continued to investigate, they learned the dogs in the attack belonged to Dobbins. When police went to serve a search warrant in connection with the drowning and attack, they found he and his dogs were gone.
While one of the canines was later seized in Los Angeles county, the police are now asking for the public’s help to track down Dobbins and the remaining two dogs.
Dobbins is a “transient and a previously convicted felon with loose ties to California City as well as Palmdale,” according to cops.
He is 6’6” tall and weighs approximately 250 pounds, with gray hair and brown eyes.
A GoFund Me has been set up to help the family with funeral costs who are “struggling to cope with this sudden loss” amid the unimaginable pain of losing someone so young.
“Fernando was a bright, loving boy who brought joy to everyone around him,” a message on the fundraiser read.
“He loved spending time outdoors, playing with his siblings, and making new friends.”
“His laughter and kindness touched the lives of many, and his absence leaves a hole in the hearts of his family and community.”
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