Southern California Toddler Bitten by Rattlesnake Concealed Under Amazon Delivery Package

A young child in Southern California required hospitalization and antivenom treatment after a rattlesnake bit her while she reached for an Amazon package at her family’s home. The incident marks another addition to a surge in snake encounters happening across California this year, driven by unseasonably warm weather that has accelerated the emergence of reptiles from hibernation earlier than typical.

Manuel Barajas said his 3-year-old daughter, Addy, ran outside after learning a delivery had arrived and been placed near the family’s front gate. When the child grabbed the padded envelope, a Southern Pacific rattlesnake that had been sheltering beneath it struck her left hand. Paramedics met the family at a nearby grocery store parking lot and transported Addy to a hospital, where she was later moved to a pediatric intensive care unit for two days of additional antivenom doses.

State authorities have documented an uptick in rattlesnake bites throughout California. Ventura County firefighters reported responding to seven snake bite calls within a single month, and officials have linked the elevation to warmer spring temperatures. At least three snakebite fatalities have been confirmed statewide this year, including a Thousand Oaks woman who died in March after being bitten while hiking at Wildwood Regional Park and a hiker who required emergency airlift from a remote Ventura County trail in May.

Medical professionals advise that snakebite victims should obtain emergency care immediately, remain motionless and refrain from administering home treatments that could exacerbate the wound. Speaking to KTLA, Barajas said his family decided to share their experience to raise awareness about household vigilance and ensure residents know which medical facilities can handle pediatric snakebite cases. The family has established a GoFundMe campaign to assist with medical bills and income replacement during Addy’s continued recovery, with the child now approximately 70 percent healed but still bearing bruising on her bitten hand.