IRVING, Texas — Update 12:20 p.m. Sunday with confirmation of the teen's death.
A 16-year-old boy has died after being attacked by three dogs in an Irving backyard early Saturday, Irving police said.
Police said the teen jumped the fence and into a backyard in the 800 block of E. Third St., around 4:45 a.m. The Medical Examiner’s office identified the boy as 16-year-old Nelson Cabrera.
Cabrera does not live at the house where the attack took place, police said. The dogs were secure in their own yard, police said.
Guillermo Lorenzo, the owner of the dogs, said his three pit bulls — Bella, Bruce and Little Bit — were only protecting their home and the teen shouldn't have been there at all.
"Nobody has the right to be in this yard," Lorenzo said.
Lorenzo fixes cars out of his back yard, where he keeps parts and tools he wants to protect.
When police arrived, they saw the attack happening and jumped the fence and moved in between Cabrera and the dogs, shooting at the dogs in the process, officials said.
They shot Bella, and one officer was bitten by one of the dogs, police said. That officer was treated and released. All three dogs were seized and taken to the Irving Animal Shelter, police said.
"Bella was shot in the mouth and will have to be put down," Lorenzo said.
On Sunday, officials confirmed Bella had to be euthanized due to the severity of her injuries.
"She did what she’s supposed to do,” Lorenzo said.
The officers also did what they're trained to do, according to Robert Reeves, a spokesman for the Irving Police Department.
"The split millisecond that the victim is being attacked by the dog and the officers are seeing that, whether or not that victim was supposed to be on that property or those dogs are supposed to be in that backyard, is all irrelevant," Reeves said.
"At that point, those officers are just trying to save the life of that victim," he said.
Cabrera was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital and was pronounced dead Saturday night.
Irving police are still investigating the incident and ask anyone with any information to call the Irving Police Department at 972-273-1010 and reference case number 1917970.
Tips can also be sent to ipdcrimetips@cityofirving.org.
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