NORTH AURORA, Ill. (CBS) — Several coyotes attacked and carried off a small dog early Sunday in west suburban North Aurora and presumably killed the pet, police said.

The coyotes attacked a small Yorkie about 2:30 a.m. Sunday in the 2800 block of Sterkel Road, according to a North Aurora police news release.

Neighbors reported hearing coyotes howling before the dog was attacked in the back yard, police said. The owner said he was watching the dog from the back door when the coyotes came out from the tall grass around a pond.

They grabbed the 11-pound, 5-year-old dog and carried him back into the weeds, police said.

The owner said the attack happened faster than he could react, police said.

The dog’s body has not been recovered.

Just hours earlier, about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, another North Aurora resident was walking his small dog on a leash when he encountered two coyotes on the baseball field in a park near Bauer Road and Schrader Lane, police said.

The coyotes did not attack, but did not run away when they saw the resident, police said. No one was injured.

Coyote sightings are frequent in the western suburbs. The animals are also occasionally spotted in Chicago.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)