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US News

8-year-old boy mauled and beheaded by crocodile in front of his parents

By
Snejana Farberov
Published Nov. 29, 2022
Updated Nov. 29, 2022, 8:45 p.m. ET

An 8-year-old boy was attacked and mauled to death by a massive crocodile in front of his horrified family while playing in a river near his home in Costa Rica.

The young victim, Julio Otero Fernández, was decapitated by the reptile, before being dragged to the depths of Matina River in the city of Limón on Oct. 30, never to be seen alive again.

Then on Saturday, nearly a month after the child’s gruesome death, an unidentified hunter reportedly shot and killed a crocodile in the area. When the locals cut open the beast’s stomach, they discovered inside strands of hair and bone fragments believed to belong to Julio.

The 8-year-old was killed while spending time with his parents, four siblings and other relatives during a fishing trip.

At around 2 p.m. on Oct. 30, Julio was standing in knee-deep water in the river when the large crocodile lunged at him.

Residents in Costa Rica are seen cutting open the stomach of a dead crocodile to reveal hair and bones possibly belonging to an 8-year-old boy.
Residents in Costa Rica are seen cutting open the stomach of a dead crocodile to reveal hair and bones possibly belonging to an 8-year-old boy. Jam Press
Julio Otero Fernández, 8, was playing in the Matina River in Limón, Costa Rica, on Oct. 30 when he was mauled to death by a crocodile.
Julio Otero Fernández, 8, was playing in the Matina River in Limón, Costa Rica, on Oct. 30 when he was mauled to death by a crocodile. Jam Press

“It shook him (the child) and ripped off his little head,” an eyewitness described the brutal attack. “Then it grabbed him again and dragged him under.”

Julio’s parents, Don Julio Otero and Margini Fernández Flores, helplessly looked on as their son was being savaged by the reptile.

“The hardest thing for my wife was seeing the crocodile float away with my son’s body,” Otero said.

The massive reptile, pictured, was seen ripping the child's head off, then grabbing his body in its jaws and dragging it away.
The massive reptile, pictured, was seen ripping the child’s head off, then grabbing his body in its jaws and dragging it away. Jam Press
Don Julio Otero, the boy's father, witnessed his son's grisly death, along with his wife and other family members.
Don Julio Otero, the boy’s father, witnessed his son’s grisly death, along with his wife and other family members. Jam Press

The dad said that the scaly predator resurfaced more than an hour later, still holding his child’s body in its jaws. He said that police officers who had responded to the scene refused to shoot the animal, saying they did not have the “authority” to open fire, reported the Spanish-language news outlet La Nacion.

“For my part, I feel abandoned by the authorities,” Otero said. “An animal is worth more than a human being, that’s what I’ve felt.”

The couple had relocated their family to Costa Rica from their native Nicaragua four years ago to work on a banana plantation.

The parents are now planning to move back home with their four surviving kids, between the ages 3 and 16, to keep them safe from crocodiles, which are protected animals in Costa Rica.

DNA tests will be performed on the remains extracted from the slain crocodile's carcass to determine whether they belonged to Julio.
DNA tests will be performed on the remains extracted from the slain crocodile’s carcass to determine whether they belonged to Julio. Jam Press

“I will not stay here because they protect these animals and they are capable of leaving the river to attack more people,” Flores, Julio’s mom, said.

It is unknown at this time who killed the crocodile over the weekend. The hunter fled the scene after shooting the reptile, which is a crime in the Caribbean nation.

Julio’s mother confirmed the discovery of hair and bones inside the dead crocodile’s carcass.

“The animal is dead. For me it is a great relief that they have killed it,” Flores said. “I wish they would kill them all so no family ever has to go through pain like this again.”

The human remains were handed over to the local authorities for DNA testing.