Man Killed in Dog Attack Near Salton Sea is Identified

A man who was mauled to death by pit bulls near the Salton Sea was identified Wednesday as a 65-year-old resident of North Shore, coroner’s officials said.

Deputies arrived to find Emilio Rios dead in the front yard of his home at 70670 Sea Gull Drive after the attack was reported at 6:17 a.m. Tuesday, sheriff’s spokesman Armando Munoz said.

The deputies heard a woman screaming for help and realized she was also being attacked by the dogs, he said. They drove toward the woman with their patrol car’s lights and sirens activated, which caused the dogs to run away, the spokesman said.

The woman, who lived in the neighborhood and was not related to Rios, was tended by paramedics at the scene, then taken to a local hospital for treatment of major injuries, Munoz said. Her name was withheld.

Deputies and Riverside County Animal Control officers found the dogs at a local residence, he said.

Both dogs had to be tranquilized and were taken to an Animal Services facility, where they remained in quarantine Wednesday.

• -- City News Service, photos courtesy of the Riverside Animal Services