Dacula residents have reported an increase in coyote sightings, according to Channel 2 Action News.

It isn’t unusual for more coyotes to be around this time of year, said Charlie Kilmaster, a Department of Natural Resources. It’s “denning season” for the canines, meaning they are mating, birthing pups and settling down while they care for their young.

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Coyotes that settle near residential areas could also become more comfortable with people, making them more likely to roam in neighborhoods, Kilmaster said.

“When they acclimate to people they become a little more brazen,” Kilmaster said. “They start walking out in the daylight.”

Coyotes are also drawn to residential neighborhoods by open trash cans, Channel 2 reported. The best way to prevent coyotes from coming to your property is to tightly secure trash can and industrial trash can lids so the animals can’t reach the garbage.

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The victims say the suspect was in the middle of it all.