Del Amo Park, Carson, California. Monday morning, 2024.
Enoch Palomar, six years old, ran to retrieve his ball at the playground. His sister was playing in a softball tournament. His mother Melissa was watching nearby. It was a busy park, full of families.
Then a coyote appeared and grabbed him.
The Attack
The coyote chased Enoch and bit him as he tried to escape. It attempted to drag him away. The boy screamed.
Melissa heard the scream and started running. She saw the coyote. She didn't stop.
"He yelled immediately as soon as the coyote bit him," she said. "I ran towards him, and then I noticed it was a coyote, and I started making noise, and as soon as I got close to him, he ran off."
She ran toward a wild predator attacking her child. The coyote released Enoch and fled.
The Injuries
Enoch sustained multiple deep puncture wounds on both thighs, his back, and the back of his head. He required 20 stitches. He began the rabies vaccination series�painful shots administered over several weeks.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife took Enoch's shirt for their investigation. They hoped to identify and trap the coyote.
The Context
Del Amo Park is a public park in Carson, a city in Los Angeles County. Coyote sightings are common in California. Attacks on people, especially children, are rare but not unheard of.
The city posts signage warning of coyote activity. Wildlife officials recommend making loud noises and appearing large to deter attacks. Melissa did both.
But first, she had to run toward the danger.
The Choice
When a predator has your child, you don't calculate. You don't weigh the risks. You don't think about what the animal might do to you.
You run.
Melissa Palomar heard her son scream and ran toward a wild coyote that had him in its jaws. She made noise. She got close. The coyote fled.
Enoch is recovering. He has scars on his thighs, his back, his head. He has the memory of teeth and the pain of stitches and shots.
He also has a mother who didn't hesitate.
What Remains
After the attack, Melissa spoke publicly to warn other parents.
"Be aware of your surroundings," she urged.
But awareness only gets you so far. When the moment comes, you either run toward the threat or you don't.
Melissa ran.
Sources: ABC News, CBS Los Angeles