A man was taken into custody in connection with a dog attack that led to the drowning of a 12-year-old boy in Kern County, police said. The California City Police Department said Kenneth Dobbins was taken into custody on Thursday after receiving a tip from someone who spotted him in Lancaster.

Investigation Details

The incident occurred on June 18, when officers responded to a report about a drowning in progress involving a boy who jumped into the lake at Central Park in California City while running from dogs. When officers arrived, they found the boy at the bottom of the lake and a girl with serious but non-life-threatening bite injuries.

The boy was taken to the hospital, where he died, officials said. The girl was released after receiving treatment at the hospital. During the preliminary investigation, the department said officers had been in contact with Dobbins — who said he was at the park with his three dogs at the time of the incident — but did not take him into custody because they did not know “the level of injury to the victims or extent, if any, involvement Dobbins may have had.”

Police say an in-depth investigation later revealed Dobbins as the possible owner of the three dogs responsible for the attack, prompting officers to secure an arrest warrant in connection with charges of involuntary manslaughter and negligent owner of a mischievous animal causing serious bodily injury and/or death to another.

Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.