Pit bull's owner cited after fatal mauling of 5-year-old boy

Citations were issued to the owner of a pit bull that mauled a 5-year-old boy to death Monday night in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood on the South Side.

James W. Nevils III was attacked by the dog in the 8900 block of South Carpenter about 9:35 p.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

James, who lived in the 8000 block of South Escanaba, was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 10:08 p.m., authorities said.

An autopsy Tuesday found he died of multiple sharp and blunt force injuries of his head and neck, and his death was ruled an accident.

The man who owned the dog was cited for owning an animal whose rabies shots were not up to date and owning an animal without a license, according to police. No other charges against him were expected as of Wednesday morning.

The dog was killed at the scene by a neighbor, police said.

Bianca White, a neighbor who lives across the street from where the attack occurred, told reporters at the scene that neighbors were able to free the boy from the dog’s grasp by killing it with rocks and other objects.

“They stabbed it, threw a big rock on it,” White said. “They just started attacking it and [the dog] is dead now.”

White said the boy was lifeless after the dog released him from its jaws.