Frightening surveillance video captured a coyote chasing a 3-year-old boy through the front gate of his family’s home in Pasadena, a terrifying close call that left his parents shaken and the neighborhood on alert.
The incident happened in the middle of the afternoon on Monday on Tamarac Drive in Pasadena. According to ABC 7, the video shows young Salvo Bessemer heading toward the family car when he suddenly stops and sprints back toward the house. A large coyote can be seen chasing him right through the front gate.
Salvo, who goes by “Sal,” screamed and called out for his mother as the animal pursued him. Once the toddler moved off camera, a loud scream rang out, and the coyote turned and ran away. Sal was not hurt.
His mother, Aida Svelto, described the terrifying moment. “Sal went out the gate like he always does before me. Then I heard a scream, and Sal came running back. He grabbed onto my legs, then I screamed because I saw a big, giant coyote,” she said.
The boy’s father, Leonard Bessemer, said he was stunned when he learned what happened. As reported by the New York Post, he said: “She texted me. She’s like, ‘A coyote just chased Sal,’ and I was like, ‘How?’ I checked the cameras. I was flabbergasted.”
The family said they have spotted coyotes in their hilly neighborhood before, but never one that came so close. “We have seen them, but they typically just stay on the street. I really didn’t feel nervous. Now I’m nervous,” Svelto said. “This one was bigger and scarier, and I just really didn’t think that he would go after a kid. It’s one thing to see them go after a chihuahua or rabbit or whatever, but he’s pretty big, so it was scary.”
Coyotes are a familiar sight across Southern California, and wildlife experts say the animals are especially bold this time of year. Kevin McManus of Pasadena Humane offered a clear explanation. According to Yahoo News, McManus said: “It’s mating season, so they are out there at all times of the day. We’re going to be seeing them. We have seen them more in the last few weeks. Just be extra cautious. Keep an eye on your kids. Keep an eye on your pets.”
The encounter is not an isolated event. Southern California has seen several run-ins between coyotes and young children in recent months, including one that hospitalized a 3-year-old girl near San Diego and another in which a 6-year-old boy was attacked at a softball game in the Los Angeles area.
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