A 54-year-old woman identified as Aída was killed Friday morning after a pack of at least 16 dogs attacked her outside her home in the Colonia Nacozari neighborhood of Mexicali. Municipal police and the Fiscalía General del Estado (FGE), Baja California’s State Attorney General’s office, responded to the scene and opened an investigation.
Neighbors Say Victim Had Prior Disputes Over Dogs
According to neighbors and family members, Aída lived at the far end of the street and regularly walked through the area on her way to the local market. Francisco Israel, a neighbor and relative of the victim, told Telemundo that dogs in the area had barked at passersby before but had never attacked like this.
“She always passed through here, which is what makes it so strange,” Francisco Israel said. He confirmed that the 16 dogs attacked her as she walked near their location on the street. Preliminary reports indicate Aída had prior disputes with the dogs’ owner over the animals being kept unsecured in the area.
Investigation Underway, No Charges Yet
Authorities have not announced whether the dogs’ owner will face criminal charges. The FGE investigation remains open, and officials have not released details about the breeds involved or whether the animals have been seized. It is not yet clear whether the dogs were strays, guard dogs, or kept for another purpose.
The fatal attack is not an isolated case in Baja California. In August 2024, an 84-year-old retired nurse named Amparo Romero was killed by a pack of dogs while walking in a park in Mexicali’s Villas del Rey neighborhood. That incident prompted calls for stricter animal control enforcement, though the city’s stray and unsecured dog population remains a persistent problem.
Dog Pack Attacks a Recurring Problem
Mexicali, located roughly 120 miles east of Tijuana along the U.S. border, has struggled for years with large numbers of free-roaming dogs in residential colonias. Municipal animal control resources are limited, and enforcement of leash and containment laws is inconsistent across the city’s sprawling neighborhoods.
The case remains under investigation by the FGE. Authorities have not set a timeline for announcing any charges related to the dog owner’s possible liability.
Reported with information from KESQ Telemundo and The Baja Post.