7-year-old girl speaks out after squirrel attack

NEW YORK -- A 7-year-old girl is speaking out after she says she was attacked by a squirrel that is terrorizing a park in Brooklyn, New York.

A warning has been sent out to visitors of Prospect Park about the aggressive squirrel.

At least five people have been attacked.

The New York City Health Department has cautioned anyone who was bitten by a squirrel in the last two weeks to get checked for rabies.

One squirrel victim, Leku Percival, says he was feeding the squirrel when it bit him on the hand. He is convinced that it is the same squirrel that has been menacing people in Prospect Park.

Our sister station WABC spoke to another victim, 7-year-old Maria Guerrerom and her family on Sunday, and the story they told was shocking.

The family says the squirrel leaped into the air and sank its teeth into the child's arm, entirely unprovoked.

When Guerrero's dad heard her screams, he was able to pry the animal's jaws open, and throw the squirrel onto the sidewalk.

Amazingly, the squirrel came back and tried to attack again, twice, before climbing into a nearby tree.

"It kind of looked like a flying squirrel. He jumped on my arm and then he started to bite my arm, but I had no food! I had no food, I had nothing!" Guerrero said.

Guerrero is being treated for rabies as a precaution even though rabies in squirrels in unheard of in the State of New York.

Officials say the behavior of the squirrel is giving them some concern.