A young mother died while trying to protect her 6-year-old son from getting mauled by dogs in San Bernardino County, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
Emily Panuco, 26, and her child were visiting the unincorporated community of Big River on February 27. The California small town is located along the west bank of the Colorado River, about 45 miles south of Arizona's Lake Havasu City, within the Colorado River Indian Tribes reservation.
The two were there to see a litter of puppies that Panuco's mother was keeping at her home in the 6700 block of Wingfoot Court, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
At about 3:30 p.m., Panuco and her boy arrived and were greeted by the puppies in a cardboard box near the home's front door. There were also three adult dogs on the property, including the mother of the puppies.
When Panuco's son tried to pet the puppies, the adult dogs attacked him. Panuco immediately intervened to protect her child and was also attacked by the canines, the sheriff's department reported.
Panuco was bitten multiple times. She died at the scene. The boy "sustained two severe dog bites" and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment and later released, according to the sheriff's department.
The adult dogs were later euthanized by Colorado River Indian Tribes Animal Control. The death investigation is ongoing and has been assumed by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Coroner's Division.
Panuco is survived by her husband, Ricardo Panuco, and their 6-year-old son as well as a 7-month-old, according to her GoFundMe page. The fundraiser, organized by Ricardo's cousin to help the family cover funeral costs, has amassed more than $23K in donations.
