Family Dog Kills Boy, 4

A huge mastiff attack dog, described as a "big Scooby-Doo" by its owner, suddenly turned on a 4-year-old boy in a Brooklyn home, killing him. Police are investigating the attack, which occurred shortly after the mom returned home with the boy and his three siblings. The dog, a Cane Corso that neighbors say was trained to attack, belongs to the mother's live-in boyfriend, according to investigators. Family members and neighbors were unable to pull the dog, named Machete, off Jayelin Graham as the animal bit the boy in the head and neck. "Within a split second it happened," the boy's aunt, told WABC-TV. "The dog wouldn't let go."

What a "horrible way to die," said Jayelin's grandfather. "I've got a lot of frustrations, a lot of emotions, a lot of anger." Neighbors said the dog was vicious and had already killed the family's pet rabbit. "He was trained to kill," the man told the New York Daily News. "He had the boy by his throat. The dog was shaking him. He had no chance." Jayelin's siblings have been removed from the home by child protection services. The dog has been taken to a shelter and will be observed for 10 days. The dead boy's mom, Saquina Jubeark, said the killing was no one's fault. "The dog had showed no sign of aggression," she said. (More Brooklyn stories.)