Coyotes aren’t uncommon in Southern California. However, they usually keep their distance from people, even though there’s significant overlap between wildlife and residential areas in parts of Pasadena. But as the video below shows, this particular animal behaved differently.

A frightening moment unfolded just outside a Pasadena home on Monday. Aida Svelto was outside with her 3-year-old son, Salvo Bessemer, when a coyote nearby suddenly ran toward the toddler. As the mother explained to ABC 7, everything felt completely normal until it wasn’t:

“Sal went out the gate like he always does before me. Then I heard a scream, and Sal came running back. He grabbed onto my legs, then I screamed because I saw a very large coyote.”

The 3-year-old quickly sensed something wasn’t right and turned back after noticing the animal approaching him. It was a fortunate reaction, and his mother’s loud shout after realizing what was happening startled the coyote and caused it to run off.

Leonard Bessemer, Sal’s father, said he wouldn’t have believed the encounter if security camera footage hadn’t captured it:

“She texted me. She’s like, ‘A coyote just ran toward Sal,’ and I was like, ‘How?’ I checked the cameras. I was shocked.”

It’s not something most families expect to deal with — especially in the middle of the day.

Both parents were understandably surprised. Walking out of the gate and into the driveway was part of their normal routine. This time, however, a coyote happened to be nearby and briefly moved toward the child before retreating.

Thankfully, Sal trusted his instincts and ran back home. A child that young might easily mistake a wild animal for a neighborhood dog, but he recognized something felt unusual and chose to head back to safety.

Wildlife experts note that certain times of year can increase animal activity in residential areas, which may explain why more coyotes have recently been spotted in this Pasadena neighborhood and other nearby communities. Aida Svelto said she knew coyotes lived in the area but never expected one to approach her child.

“We have seen them, but they typically just stay on the street. I really didn’t feel nervous before. Now I do. This one was bigger than usual, and I just didn’t expect it to come near a child. It’s one thing to see them near small pets or wildlife, but this felt different.”

It was certainly a tense moment, and the family is grateful that no one was injured.