Commissioner: 3-Year-Old Girl Okay After Attack, Police Will Trap and Kill Coyotes

Rye Police Commissioner William Connors said this morning that a 3-year-old girl attacked by a coyote Tuesday night on North Street is recovering after suffering bite wounds to her left neck and left torso.

Connors held a 10:30 a.m. press conference at Rye City Court Wednesday morning. He said the girl was playing with a 6-year-old neighbor around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday when a coyote leaped from behind a fence and tackled her to the ground. The girl's father was on the upper deck of their 80 North St. home supervising the children. Tricia Ellis, the mother of the 6-year old girl, was also watching the children from inside her home.

Both parents exited their homes when Ellis' daughter, Stephanie, began screaming at her mother for help. When the parents approached, the coyote released the girl and fled. Ellis called 911 and brought the 3-year-old girl, whose name she said is Erica, into her home to wait for paramedics.

She was taken to Westchester Medical Center and treated for her injuries.

Police arrived on the scene within one minute of receiving the 911 call, Connors said. They pursued the coyote into a nearby cemetery on Theodore Fremd Avenue owned by the Osborn Retirement Community, but were unable to get a clear shot at the animal because of traffic on the Metro-North Railroad and Interstate-95.

Police also spotted a coyote in the area around Sonn Drive and Boston Post Road at 1 a.m. Wednesday, Connors said. An officer took a shot at the coyote but it is unclear whether he hit his intended target. Police have taken three shots at coyotes since Friday's attack on 6-year-old Emily Hodulik on Lasalle Avenue, he said. Hodulik suffered injuries to the back of her head and thighs after being bitten by two coyotes while playing with friends in her front yard at 9:15 p.m.

State and county officials are now involved in efforts to help trap and kill coyotes, Connors said. He said the county has agreed to monitor the situation at the Marshlands Conservancy and the Jay Heritage Center, two county-owned properties in Rye where coyotes appear to have habitats. He said the state Department of Environmental Conservation has advised Rye Police to euthanize coyotes once they have been trapped.

"We are presuming at this point that all coyotes are dangerous animals that may harm our children," Connors said.

He advised all parents in Rye to not let their children play outdoors, especially during the evening hours. He said that if parents do let their children go outside, they should be within an arms length.

Connors said police officers have been assigned to areas where there is a high volume of children, such as summer camps. They will be monitoring these areas all day to ensure public safety.

Trappers are actively engaged and trying to locate the animals. Police began setting traps in Rye after coyotes killed a poodle on the Osborn property on March 31. Since that time, police have captured nine coyotes (one female and eight puppies) and recently relocated them last month. However, humane trapping is now secondary to eliminating the coyotes, since they appear to be less fearful of humans and more willing to attack them, Connors said.

"There is simply no textbook for this," he said. "This is a unique experience."

There is no indication that the coyotes are rabid, Connors said.

He said most of the attacks have involved children and experts have said that coyotes likely do not pose a threat to adults. However, Connors admitted that the situation is highly unusual and unpredictable.

There is virtually no way for police to completely eradicate coyotes in the area, since they usually flock to places that have a high population of deer, which is the case in Rye, according to Connors.

Connors said police have received several calls from residents who are willing to hunt and kill the coyotes themselves. He warned against this and asked that residents allow police to handle the matter. He also reminded the public that shooting a firearm in Rye is illegal.

Mayor Doug French said the coyote attacks have become the city's primary concern.

"To be clear, this is a threat to public safety and we're treating it as such."