Random Citizen Beats Raccoon To Death To Rescue Child

A 6-year-old boy from New Jersey was nearly mauled to death by a raccoon while his mother watched in horror. Thankfully, a nearby Good Samaritan jumped into action and saved the child from the vicious attack.

According to the Huffington Post, Aryan Gavali was being walked to elementary school with his mother, Monali, when an aggressive raccoon ran across the street and latched onto the child’s back. It began scratching relentlessly at the boy’s face. Aryan suffered bites and lacerations across his face, requiring nine stitches. However, the injuries would have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for Danny Walls, a nearby citizen who heard the screams of the mother and intervened.

According to CBS Local News, Walls was driving through Elmwood Park in New Jersey when he witnessed the raccoon attack. Danny got out of his vehicle, grabbed a painter’s extension pole, and began to beat the animal off the 6-year-old boy.

“I see this huge raccoon on top of the kid,” Danny Walls said. “The raccoon was on the kid’s face biting and scratching… when I got in the car I cried, because the first thing I thought about was my own son… I had imagined that that was my son, you know, instinctively, it took over. And I just knew that I had to kill the raccoon.”

Walls was so determined to get the raccoon away from the child that he kept beating it with the pole until it was dead. It was a violent scene, but Walls successfully saved the boy from what could have been a fatal raccoon attack.

“I killed the raccoon, the kid jumped up and was screaming, he was crying, there was blood all over the place, his mom had blood all over her coat.”

Aryan’s mother was overcome with gratitude for the Good Samaritan’s timely rescue.

“When she was done she just kinda got on the floor just thanked me so much,” said Danny Walls. “But I really wish the best for them.”

The boy has been treated for severe injuries at Hackensack University Medical Center since the raccoon attack, and his mother has not left his side. She claims Aryan Gavali is recovering well and showed a lot of bravery. It was clear that the raccoon intended to hurt the boy because it went after the only exposed flesh on the child’s body.

“It’s cold outside and he was covered with a jacket. Only his face was open,” his mother said. “I initially thought it’s a monkey, but later on I noticed it was something else.”

When asked about how Danny Walls rescued her child, the mother made a point to show her gratitude once again.

“He came like an angel to help us. I’m very, very much thankful to him.”

Elmwood Park Police Chief Michael Foligno also gave an account of the raccoon attack rescue, verifying Walls’ account of how he beat the animal off the child and persisted until it was dead.

“He [Danny Walls] started to strike the raccoon until it let go of the boy’s face, it fell to the ground, he continued to beat it and ended up killing the raccoon,” said Foligno.

According to the Record, the dead raccoon will be tested for rabies. Since raccoons are typically nocturnal animals who are rarely aggressive, it’s possible that the raccoon attack was a result of a rabid, disoriented animal. Lab results are due back on Friday. Fortunately, rabies is curable with a vaccine, even after infection.

Foligno is concerned that there may be other incidences of rabid raccoon attacks in the area.

“We’re going to find out if there’s more to this than an isolated incident,” he said.

[Image via CBS2/Facebook]