Aurora Toddler Dies After Pit Bull Attack In Joliet, Dog Taken

JOLIET, IL — A 17-month-old Aurora girl died early Sunday morning after being attacked by a dog at a Fourth of July house party in Joliet. Marley Wilander was sleeping when the dog entered the room and bit her several times, according to the Joliet Fire Department. She had been put upstairs in a playpen prior to the attack, police said.

The dog involved in the deadly attack will be tested for rabies and euthanized Monday, Will County Health Department spokesman Steve Brandy told Joliet Patch.

The owners of the home, located in the 1800 block of Cumberland Drive in Joliet, put their two pit bull mixed-breed dogs in the basement during their Fourth of July party, according to Joliet police. Later that night, Marley's parent's who were guests at the party, took her to take a nap in an upstairs bedroom, police said.

"At sometime during the night, the dogs got out of the basement," Joliet police said Monday. "The homeowner went upstairs to investigate a noise and located one of the dogs actively biting the toddler. The homeowner was able to separate the dog from the toddler and called 911 where Joliet Police and Fire responded. The dog was turned over to the Joliet Township Animal Control."

Marley's family was visiting Joliet during the holiday weekend.

The Will County Coroner's Office announced Monday afternoon that Marley suffered multiple injuries inflicted by a dog. The second dog in the home was not seized by authorities as there is no reason to believe it was involved in the attack, Brandy said.

Joliet firefighters and paramedics were called at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday to a house in the 1800 block of 1800 Cumberland Drive, Joliet Fire Chief Greg Blaskey told Patch. The girl’s father was holding her when firefighters arrived, Blaskey said, adding she had a pulse when she was taken to AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center. She died at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, police said.

Sunday's fatal dog attack was the second in the area this year and the third in Illinois. In February, a 25-year-old man died several days after being attacked by his own dog in what police called an "unprovoked attack" on the owner and several family members.

In May, a 52-year-old Lake County woman was attacked and killed by her own dog, which had been in custody of animal control after reportedly attacking her boyfriend. She had retrieved the dog from animal control days before she was killed.

Joliet police said Sunday's fatal attack remains under investigation. No criminal charges or animal negligence citations have been issued, as of 3:30 p.m. Monday.

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