2 Dogs Attack, Kill FL Boy, 8, Riding His Bicycle

DELAND, FL — An 8-year-old boy is dead after authorities said two dogs near Deland attacked him.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said the fatal attack happened around 5 p.m. Monday in the area of Arabesque Drive and Airport Road.

Witnesses tried CPR and called 911, but the boy, Michael Millet, died of his injuries, authorities said.

Millet, who was on a bicycle, tried to pet the dogs before the attack, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said at a news conference held Tuesday. His mom attempted to stop the attack, Chitwood said.

Deputies chased the pit bull and mixed breed dog down the road, and ultimately, officers with the Volusia County Animal Services caught the animals, authorities said.

The two dogs were placed under a 10-day quarantine with Animal Services, Angela Miedema, director of Animal Services, said at the news conference. She added the attack was rare.

The sheriff's office said it is investigating the circumstances of the attack.

“I don’t know what anyone can say to ease the immense pain this family is feeling tonight,” Chitwood said in a news release. “This is a tragedy beyond comprehension, especially for those of us who are parents and grandparents. I can only ask our community to say a prayer of strength for this family and keep them in your hearts as they face their worst nightmare.”

At the news conference, Chitwood said authorities are waiting to see if the owner of the dogs is willing to sign over custody. If not, the two parties may head to court, he said.

The sheriff said he intends to charge the owner, who was not in the area at the time.

"We are going to do everything humanly possible to hold the owner of these dogs responsible, and we're going to do everything possible to make sure that these animals are destroyed," Chitwood said.

He added the dogs were known to be in other incidents, including those involving chickens and another unknown incident in a separate county. The sheriff urged residents to come forward with information about the dogs.

"These dogs have been terrorizing the neighborhood for a while," he said.