A woman found in the backyard of a San Diego County home Sunday was mauled to death by one or more of the eight dogs found roaming near her body, the county medical examiner confirmed Wednesday.
The still-unidentified 30-year-old woman was hired to clean the home in the 1300-block of Calle Tecolotlan in Fallbrook, according to new information released by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.
A relative who came to pick her up at around 5:15 p.m. Sunday found her dead in the backyard and called police.
When authorities responded, they found eight large dogs running loose in the backyard where the woman's body was found. The residents were not home, and the garden hose was still running when they arrived, said Lt. Glenn Giannantonio with the Sheriff's Homicide Unit.
The San Diego County Department of Animal Services took the dogs into custody and said they were a larger breed of dog called Olde English Bulldogge. Authorities did not have to use any force with the dogs.
Giannantonio said the woman had spent the previous night at the house, but this was her first time cleaning the house, and she was not very familiar to the dogs.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office determined that the victim was mauled by one or more of the dogs. Her identity has not been released, as officials are trying to notify her family.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
The Department of Animal Services said the owners were breeding and selling the dogs.The youngest of the pack is about 4 to 5 months old. The largest dog is 105 pounds.
NBC San Diego reached the homeowner on Tuesday by phone but she was not available to discuss the incident.The Department of Animal Services has yet to determine whether the homeowner will face charges in the case.
Additionally, as deputies were conducting an investigation into the woman's death, they discovered a marijuana grow in the back bedroom of the home. The grow consisted of 24 plants, according to a San Diego County Sheriff's Department statement.
Investigators with the Narcotics Task Force seized the grow operation and will be investigating the grow.
Dog expert and trainer Toni Menard on Tuesday told NBC San Diego that the sheer number of canines at the house is concerning.
"When you have eight in one location, that sets off red flags," Menard said. "Someone needs to know what they’re doing to have that many bully breeds in one place."
