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Oso Creek Trail Closed After Pair Of Coyote Attacks

MISSION VIEJO (CBSLA) -- A section of the popular Oso Creek Trail remains closed on Tuesday, three days after a pair of coyote attacks on humans.

The attacks happened early Saturday morning in the Jeronimo open space in Mission Viejo. A coyote that was believed to be involved in one of the attacks was caught and euthanized on Tuesday.

"I've heard that they've caught a couple and maybe another one in the last two days," said Mission Viejo Mayor Brian Goodell. "They are testing those animals to see if they have any diseases that are dangerous to humans. They are also  collecting DNA from one of the joggers."

The jogger's name is Laura Whitmer. She said she was running on Saturday morning when a coyote bit her on the leg. She hit it with a water bottle to get away, and she is now undergoing a series of rabies and tetanus shots.

In the same area, a man snapped a photo on his cell phone of a coyote.

"That scares me," said Mission Viejo resident Erin Safranek. "I run daily. That makes me think twice about staying off the trail and maybe staying on the road. Maybe running with a taser or pepper spray something that protects you."

Mayor Goodell said both bites were minor. However, the area where the attacks happened is where many people hike, bike, and walk their dogs.

Especially with the COVID situation, people don't have gyms to go to," said Veronica Peraza, another Mission Viejo resident. "This is our exercise — being outdoors — so we don't want to have coyotes taking that away from us."

The Oso Creek Trail is expected to fully reopen on Wednesday.

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