San Diego Police said the incident occurred around 9:06pm near PF Chang’s at 4500 La Jolla Village Drive, directly across from the mall’s main parking lot and steps from the popular restaurant cluster that includes Sweetgreen and The Amalfi Llama. According to officials, a coyote approached the family in the parking area before biting the three-year-old girl on the arm and hip. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has since confirmed that a second child was also injured, though details about that child’s condition have not been released.
The three-year-old was transported to Rady Children’s Hospital, where a hospital spokesperson said she was treated and released. Authorities have not disclosed the nature or severity of the other child’s injuries, nor whether either was targeted first.
San Diego Humane Society’s law-enforcement division responded to the scene but said the coyote was gone by the time officers and wildlife personnel arrived. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which investigates all coyote-human attacks in the region, has taken over the case. Investigators collected DNA samples from the scene and sent them to the agency’s forensics lab for testing. CDFW says it is now working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to locate and capture the coyote believed to be responsible.
The attack is striking for its location. The immediate area around Westfield UTC is heavily developed, brightly lit, and typically active late into the evening, conditions that usually discourage urban coyotes from approaching people. While sightings in University City and surrounding neighborhoods are not unusual, confirmed attacks in such a high-traffic commercial zone remain rare, and officials have not yet said whether they believe this particular animal had become unusually habituated to humans or had previously been fed.
Wildlife experts caution that coyotes are naturally wary of people, but that behavior can change when animals learn to associate humans with easy food sources such as trash, outdoor pet food, or intentional feeding. A wildlife rehabilitation supervisor with San Diego Humane Society noted in recent television interviews that young coyotes may be dispersing from their family groups at this time of year, exploring new territories where dense human activity also means abundant garbage and other attractants. She added that sudden movements from a small child or proximity to a spot the animal considered “safe” could have triggered a predatory or defensive response, though officials stress that any motivations remain speculative while the investigation is ongoing.
The San Diego Humane Society continues to urge residents to “haze” coyotes whenever it is safe to do so, a strategy meant to keep wild animals fearful of people. Effective hazing includes standing tall, yelling, waving arms, clapping, stomping, or using tools like noisemakers, hoses, or other repellents until the animal fully leaves the area. Because some coyotes are inexperienced with people or have previously been fed, officials emphasize that hazing may need to be sustained and escalated before the animal retreats.
Local wildlife agencies also remind residents and businesses in the UTC and University City areas to secure trash, avoid leaving pet food outdoors, supervise small children and pets, and promptly report any aggressive or unusually bold coyote behavior. As development continues to push into canyons and open space, experts say encounters are likely to increase unless communities take consistent steps to reduce attractants and reinforce boundaries between humans and wildlife.
CDFW is asking anyone who witnessed the Tuesday night incident, recorded video, or saw coyotes in or around the UTC parking lots around 9pm to contact the agency with information that could assist in identification and capture.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available, including any findings from the state forensics lab and the status of efforts to locate the coyote.
Originally published on November 25, 2025. Updated November 26, 2025.
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