A toddler was killed in a suspected animal attack after wandering away from his home in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, on Monday morning, according to local news outletKTBS-3.
According to the new station, Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that Da’Angelo Manning, 17 months old, was found dead about a half mile from his residence on Winkler Road near the town of Haynesville.
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It is unclear what the four-year-old and Manning’s relationship is.
Manning’s body was found around noon in an area north of Kendrick Springs Road “where timber had recently been harvested,” perThe Independent.
The publication also reported that police said Manning’s cause of death was the “result of an animal attack.”
The type of animal was not disclosed in the news release as the investigation is currently ongoing, according to KTBS-3 andThe Independent. Local news outletKSLA-12reported that the Claiborne Parish coroner sent Manning’s body to be autopsied.
Per KSLA-12, Claiborne Parish Sheriff Sam Dowies issued the following statement in the news release: “Sheriff Dowies wanted to publicly thank the Louisiana State Police, David Wade Correctional Center, Claiborne Parish volunteer firemen, Pafford Ambulance Service and the other concerned citizens who all quickly responded to assist with this tragic event.”
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Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Evelyn Ayala, whose cousin is the mother of Manning, created aGoFundMe pageto help cover expenses for the toddler’s funeral.
Noting that “my family is going through a difficult time at the moment,” Ayala explained on the page that “Da’Angelo Zacc Manning “Snoopy” (only one year and seven months old) son of my cousin Angelica Márquez had a fatal accident in which he lost his life.”
The GoFundMe page has raised over $2,000 of its $10,000 goal as of Wednesday night.
She continued, “I remember the day me and your daddy chose your name while you were in my belly. I remember you help me get through so much [of] the hard times. You do not know how sorry I am that I wasn’t there. You do not know how hard it is. I’m trying to keep calm for your brothers.”
source: people.com
