5-Year-Old Boy Attacked By Coyote In Arlington

ARLINGTON (CBS) – In certain Arlington neighborhoods, coyotes have become a constant the last few years, casually crossing streets and driveways, and even the school athletic fields.

"They don't seem to be freaked out by people the way they used to be," said neighbor Stephanie Collins.

Then on Sunday evening, a little 5-year-old boy was bitten in the leg playing in a backyard sandbox. He'd been visiting a friend on Cutter Hill Road.

"It scares me because my kids are out in our yard. We just live around the corner. That's the thing you always hear they don't attack people," she said.

The child was checked out and is expected to be just fine, but neighbors are understandably a little unsettled. Because even when they don't see the animals - they hear them.

"Sometimes you hear one and then six kick in and then about 10 more kick in. It can be really pretty loud," said neighbor Gary Routenberg.

Police tell neighbors one way to deter coyotes is to actually spend more time in their own yards… and then when they go inside - try and make those spaces less attractive.

"If you feed your pets inside, clean the area under bird feeders, put a tight lid on trash cans and lock up dumpsters you can avoid a lot of these potential encounters with coyotes," said Arlington Police Lt. Bryan Gallagher.

If you see a coyote you're encouraged to be loud, make eye contact, and use exaggerated motions; neighbors say it seems to work - sometimes.

"I think they're becoming a little more comfortable around humans who are making a lot of noise. It doesn't seem to phase them as much," said Hedrick Ellis.