Police said the father and his girlfriend were home at the time of the attack but did not hear the child's cries for help.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- An 8-year-old boy died Friday after four pit bulls attacked him near his home in west Charlotte.

Witnesses said they heard the child, Roddie Philip Dumas Jr., screaming as he was mauled by the pit bulls in the back yard of a home on Brentwood Place, near Remount Road.

Neighbors called 911, but it was a mailman who got to Dumas first, throwing his mailbag at the dogs to deter them while he tried to protect the boy.

When paramedics arrived, they took Dumas to the front yard and gave him medical attention. He was then taken to Carolinas Medical Center and pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

The death investigation is being handled by homicide detectives and the Animal Control Bureau of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

The four dogs involved in the incident are family pets belonging to the victim's father. They have been confiscated and quarantined by Animal Control officials pending further investigation.

Police said the father and his girlfriend were home at the time of the attack but did not hear the child's cries for help. The father faces possible charges.

Roddie Philip Dumas Sr. was booked, however, on unrelated charges late Friday night. He is charged with trafficking cocaine, maintaining a dwelling for purposes of trafficking, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of marijuana with intent to sell and deliver. The investigation is ongoing.

Neighbor Edward Threatt, one of the people who heard Dumas Jr.'s screams, helped look for the young boy before the mailman got there first. Threatt said the family had lived on the street for only a couple of months.

CMPD spokeswoman Mandy Giannini praised the mailman who valiantly tried to save the young boy.

"He was delivering mail across the street when he heard some very loud screams," CMPD spokeswoman Mandy Giannini said. "That's when he went to investigate and found that the child was being attacked.

"His bravery is unmatched by a lot of things we often see. This person put himself in danger to help try to save the child."

Neighbor Larry Berk said he could not believe what happened.

"People that have vicious dogs, I think they should have stricter laws, stricter rules," he said.

The county's last dog-related fatality happened in 1985. It also involved a child and a pit bull.

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