A Michigan family has experienced its "worst nightmare" after a 4-year-old boy was mauled to death in their home by a pit bull they were watching.
Brandi Halterman tried to stop the attack on her son, Benjamin Cobb, by stabbing the dog, but the boy suffered serious wounds on his body and neck on Tuesday night and was pronounced dead at a local hospital, the Hazel Park Police Department said in a news release.
The police responded to a 911 call by Halterman's 14-year-old daughter and arrived on the scene to find the boy being attacked by the dog. The animal had a stab wound, which police said was from Halterman trying to get it to release her son.
Halterman also suffered cuts on her hands and fingers that required 20 stitches, police said.
Police used a Taser on the dog, a 60-pound pit bull the family was watching, and it ran out of the house. The dog was taken to a local veterinarian and euthanized, police said.
"We experienced a families (sic) worst nightmare when a dog took the life of Benjamin," a GoFundMe page for the family reads. "No words can ever explain the depth of our love for him.
"This has taken an unimaginable toll on our family, friends, and all those who knew our sweet boy."
The family also noted on the fundraising page that the dog "was said to have never shown aggressive behaviors" previously. Police are investigating the dog's history to determine why it attacked the boy.