Coyote that bit children near University City mall euthanized

A coyote that attacked two young children in a mall parking lot in University City last week has been found and euthanized, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife said Monday.

Spokesperson Cort Klopping said DNA from the coyote matched the DNA of the animal that attacked the children. He did not say when, where or how the animal was found.

The incident happened about 9 p.m. Nov. 25 near Westfield UTC mall near La Jolla Village and Towne Centre drives, a San Diego police spokesperson said last week. One child, a 3-year-old, was bitten on the arm and hip and was taken to a hospital for treatment. The state spokesperson said the second injured child was also treated at a hospital. Both were swabbed to obtain DNA samples of the animal.

The samples were sent to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s forensics lab for testing, the department spokesperson said, and officers worked with U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to locate and capture the coyote.