12-Year-Old Boy Dies After Jumping Into California City Lake During Dog Attack, Police Say

A 12-year-old Southern California boy died after jumping into a lake at Central Park in California City while trying to escape attacking dogs, according to authorities and local reports, turning a summer evening at a public park into a tragedy now under active police investigation.

The boy, identified as Fernando Torres Moreno, was pulled from the water after officers responded to a drowning call on June 18. He was taken to a hospital, where lifesaving efforts continued, but he died the next day, June 19. A young girl who was also involved in the attack suffered dog bite injuries that officials described as serious but not life-threatening. She was treated at a hospital and later released.

Police have since been searching for 68-year-old Kenneth Dobbins, who authorities believe owned the dogs connected to the attack. Dobbins was reportedly at the park with the animals when the children were attacked. Early reports have differed on whether two or three dogs were involved, but police have said the animals were tied to Dobbins as the investigation developed.

Fernando Torres Moreno Was Trying To Escape The Dogs

The incident unfolded at Central Park in California City, a Kern County community in the Mojave Desert, where Fernando and other children were reportedly near the lake when the dogs charged.

According to local reports, Fernando jumped into the water in an attempt to get away. Officers arrived after receiving a call that a child had gone into the lake and had not resurfaced. When first responders reached the scene, they found Fernando in the water and began emergency efforts to save him.

The tragedy did not end at the shoreline. Another child, described in reports as a young girl and identified by one local outlet as Fernando’s sister, was injured by dog bites. She survived, but the attack left the family and the surrounding community shaken. Two additional children were reportedly present and emotionally affected, though they did not require hospital treatment.

The heartbreaking detail at the center of the case is simple and devastating: a child appears to have entered the water because he believed it was the only way to escape danger on land.

Police Search For Kenneth Dobbins and the Remaining Dogs

Authorities later connected the dogs to Kenneth Dobbins, 68, who reportedly told police he had been at the park with his dogs and claimed the animals had remained with him. As investigators gathered witness statements and continued reviewing what happened, police returned to serve a search warrant.

By then, Dobbins and some of the dogs were gone.

Police have described Dobbins as a transient man with ties to California City and Palmdale. He has been described as 6 feet 6 inches tall, weighing about 250 pounds, with gray hair and brown eyes. Authorities also said he is a previously convicted felon.

One of the dogs was later seized in Los Angeles County, according to reports. Police have continued to ask the public for help in locating Dobbins and the remaining animals.

The case remains especially urgent because investigators are not only looking at the drowning, but also the dog attack that allegedly triggered the chain of events. The search for the owner and dogs could be central to determining whether criminal charges, animal control action, or additional public safety measures follow.

Family Remembers Fernando As Bright, Loving, and Full Of Life

A fundraiser created to help Fernando’s family with funeral expenses described him as a bright and loving boy whose death has left relatives struggling with sudden grief.

The family remembered him as a child who loved being outdoors, spending time with siblings, and making friends. Those details now carry a painful weight because he died in the kind of place where a child should have been safe: outside, near other children, in a neighborhood park.

For the family, the public investigation is only one part of the aftermath. They are also facing the emotional and financial burden of burying a 12-year-old who had no reason to believe a day at the park would become deadly.

The loss has touched many beyond California City because the case carries a fear that parents understand immediately. A child faced danger, made a split-second decision to survive, and still did not make it home.

Dog Owner Responsibility Is Now Under Scrutiny

The central question investigators must answer is whether the dogs were loose, whether they were properly controlled, and what the owner did before, during, and after the attack.

California communities often rely on leash laws and animal control rules to prevent exactly this type of danger. In public parks, even dogs that have never attacked before can become unpredictable around running children, crowds, wildlife, food, noise, or other animals.

If a dog is powerful enough to chase, bite, or knock down a child, the responsibility falls heavily on the owner to prevent that animal from becoming a public threat. That means leashes, secure handling, muzzles when necessary, and the removal of aggressive dogs from crowded spaces.

When owners fail to control animals, the risk does not stay private. It spreads to families, children, joggers, seniors, and anyone else sharing the same public space.