A THREE-year-old boy has been killed and his mother left seriously injured after they were mauled by two pit bulls in their backyard.
The horrific incident unfolded at around 4.30pm in Carteret, New Jersey, on Tuesday, when the two dogs escaped from a neighboring home and attacked the toddler and his mother.
The mother and son, who have not yet been named by authorities, were both airlifted to hospital where the boy tragically succumbed to his injuries hours later.
The mother, meanwhile, remains hospitalized as of Wednesday afternoon where she is currently being treated for serious injuries, friends and family members told NBC4.
Neighbors say the young boy had been playing in the backyard of his family's home on East Laurel Street yesterday evening, when the two pit bulls attacked.
The canines, who live in a home on the other side of the victims' backyard, on Birch Street, somehow managed to squeeze beneath a fence separating the two properties.
Witness Jeet Devinder told ABC7 NY he could hear the mother desperately calling out "Help me! Help me!" but nobody came to call off the dogs.
By the time first responders arrived on scene, both the mother and the boy had suffered "severe injuries", officials said.
Aerial footage captured by NBC4 showed paramedics performing chest compressions on the toddler as he was being taken on a gurney to an awaiting medical helicopter.
Both of the dogs were reportedly shot dead by police at the scene of the attack.
Carteret Mayor Daniel Reiman said in a statement that records from the Board of Health show the dogs were not registered with the town, as required by law.
It's currently unclear whether their owner will face any criminal charges.
Neighbors told local media that the dogs have been a menace in the local community for some time.
"Those pit bulls but people in this area," one neighbor told ABC7. " I'm aware of certain houses, so I try to walk a different path when I know that they're on that block."
Jack Beyda, a longtime co-worker of the deceased boy's father, broke down in tears as he arrived at the home to pay his respects on Wednesday morning, Patch reported.
The father, his wife and their three children had all recently moved to the neighborhood from Brooklyn, Beyda said.
"I worked with him for over 12 years. They are from Pakistan originally and he's a great family guy. He has three little boys," he said of the boy's father. "He's very, very hardworking. He worked very hard to provide for his family and he saved up enough money to move out here from Brooklyn; he saved up enough to buy this little house."
The boy's father works for Coney Island Auto Parts and is stationed at their Carteret warehouse, Beyda said.
"I went around to all our clients this morning and people have been giving money to pay for the funeral," he said through tears. "One guy gave me $200."
In his statement, Mayor Reiman wrote: "As a small community, our Carteret family mourns the heart-wrenching loss of our young neighbor.
"We pray for this young mother and family in this time of unimaginable grief."
Reiman said anyone wishing to make adonation to the family for medical or funeral expenses may do so by clicking here.
Checks may also be mailed to Charity Trust Fund at Carteret Borough Hall, 61 Cooke Ave. Carteret NJ 07008 or dropped in the lock box in front of the building.
All of the funds raised will be provided to the family for medical care and funeral expenses.
An investigation into Tuesday night's violent incident remains on going.
Anyone with information is asked to call Carteret Detective Anthony Ramos at 732-541-4181 or Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Detective Mark Morris at 732-745-4194.
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