17-year-old mauled by 10 dogs while jogging, California cops say. Owner arrested

A teenage girl was attacked by a pack of dogs, and now the pet owner has been arrested, California law enforcement said.

On July 17, Barstow deputies responded to Newberry Springs after getting reports of a teen, later identified as Tracy Hurtado, having been mauled by 10 or more dogs, according to a news release by the sheriff’s department.

Hurtado was out for a jog when the dogs bit her arms and legs, ripping off her flesh and leaving large cuts, deputies said.

A bystander was able to rescue Hurtado, deputies said.

“I got close to her and she’s like, ‘Mom, am I still pretty?’” Hurtado’s mom, Maria Azpeitia, told KABC. “I said, ‘Of course. You’re beautiful.’”

After investigating, deputies learned the dogs belonged to Craig Arthur Simmons, a 61-year-old local man, and the animalsweren’t leashed or fenced at the time, officers said.

Hurtado was sent to the Loma Linda University Medical Center for her injuries, deputies said.

Hurtado’s stepfather, Carlos Ramirez, told KABC she needed 500 stitches and spent over three weeks in the hospital, the outlet reported.

Hurtado, set to start her senior year of high school, is having nightmares due to the trauma, a GoFundMe page said.

Officers seized 16 dogs in the area, deputies said.

On Aug. 13, Simmons was arrested and booked into the High Desert Detention Center on a charge of an animal owner causing serious bodily injury or death, officials said.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 15, deputies said.

Newberry Springs is about a 140-mile drive northeast from downtown Los Angeles.

This story was originally published August 15, 2025 at 3:05 PM with the headline "17-year-old mauled by 10 dogs while jogging, California cops say. Owner arrested."