Pico Rivera mother fatally stabs family pit bulls that attacked her 1-year-old daughter

PICO RIVERA, Calif. (KABC) -- Three women and a toddler are recovering in the hospital after the family's pit bulls attacked the young girl in Pico Rivera, forcing the family to kill their dogs to stop the attack.

Deputies responded to a dog bite call late Sunday night at the home near Homebrook Street and Pico Vista Road, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Authorities say the two pit bulls attacked the 1-year-old child after she started crying.

The girl suffered a fractured hip, in addition to bites to her left leg, shoulder and ear.

The dogs then apparently turned on the child's mother as she tried to stop the attack, biting her lip and face close to her eye.

The toddler's grandmother, Margaret Ann Morales, and her other daughter also suffered some injuries in the attack.

She said she was in bed when she heard some family members screaming.

"I walked into the kitchen and that's when I (saw)...my two daughters and my son on the floor trying to get the dogs off. Finally my daughter got up...and that's when I (saw) my granddaughter. I (saw) the dog was latched on her left leg. That's when I had to actually get my hand into his jaws and open them up and that's when he released her," she said.

Morales said the dogs continued to attack the other family members, prompting the toddler's mother to grab a knife and fatally stab the dogs.

All four victims were taken to the hospital.

The animals were around 3 1/2 years old and had been with the family since they were puppies.