A 20-year-old Lafayette man who was attacked by a coyote that has bitten four others in the Lamorinda area since last summer said he didn't see or hear the animal coming before it clamped down on his leg.
John Stevenson said he grabbed a sports drink at the Kwik Stop in Lafayette last week and then went across the street to sit down and take a break. That's when the coyote attacked.
"I was just sitting down like this and it came up and bit me on the left leg," Stevenson said.
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
Stevenson said he was minding his own business when he felt searing pain from the bite, which left puncture wounds on his thigh.
"I didn’t even see it coming," Stevenson said. "It was very sneaky, very quiet. It just came up, locked its jaws onto my thigh."
The animal let go as Stevenson stood up. Through his discomfort, Stevenson captured video of the coyote as it pranced away.
"There’s obviously something kind of wrong with the coyote for it to be attacking people unprovoked and hanging out in an urban environment," Stevenson said.
Stevenson is the coyote's fifth known victim. It has attacked two small children and three adults dating back to July. One man was attacked while doing push-ups at a high school track. Another was taking a break outside a grocery store.
"They’re not the biggest animal out there, so of course it's going to be probably attacking you when it has a height similarity," Stevenson said.
Stevenson has to undergo a series of tetanus and rabies shots and take antibiotics. He said he loves nature but said this coyote has crossed the line.
"It’s terrorizing people so, yeah, I do hope that they do eventually catch this coyote," he said.
