As much of California braced for triple-digit heat waves and devastating wildfires, a coyote decided the time was right to sneak into a Simi Valley home and try to eat a Chihuahua.
On Monday, shortly before noon, according to the Simi Valley Police Department, a resident of the 500 block of Shadow Lane was in the bathroom when he heard an unusual commotion downstairs.
When she arrived in the kitchen, she was shocked to find that a coyote had entered through the doggie door and was brutally attacking her pet Chihuahua.
What followed was a baffling fight. The owner attempted to scare the coyote away, and when his attempts failed, he armed himself with a kitchen knife and stabbed the animal several times. He then cornered the coyote in a downstairs bathroom, where he managed to stab the predator a few more times until he killed it.
“He continued to try to scare the coyote away as it tried to approach the Chihuahua and stabbed it until it became unresponsive,” said Simi Valley Police Sgt. Bryan Samples.
“Animal control arrived on scene,” Samples added, “and recovered this dead coyote.”
The man was rushed to the emergency room for multiple major bite wounds to his hands and wrists, and a neighbor took the Chihuahua to a local veterinarian. Both the man and the puppy are expected to recover.
Police said coyote attacks are not common in this part of town, although the neighborhood is adjacent to the Long Canyon Trailhead, which connects to the Woodridge Open Space trail system. This sprawling park area is known for its wide meadows, large oak forests and many scenic views of the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains.
