Editor's note: This story includes graphic detail that some readers may find upsetting.
A pit bull mix suspected of attacking 65-year-old Carol Streit, who was found dead in a field Wednesday, was adopted by the victim from Spokane County's animal shelter but had "no bite history," according to a county spokesperson.
Streit was located with her dog shortly after 4 p.m. in a field southwest of East Buckeye Avenue and North Custer Road, the Spokane County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. A caller reported a woman lying face down next to a dog "with blood on its body."
The dog, which was not on a leash, was acting "protective" and "aggressive," which prevented medical personnel from assessing the unresponsive woman's condition, the sheriff's office said.
Deputies eventually coaxed the animal away from Streit, who was pronounced dead at the scene, with injuries believed to have been caused by her dog. Court records from a detective on scene said it's unclear if the injuries were caused by the dog or "from other means."
Streit's pants were pulled down below her waist and she was wearing only a sports bra. Her arms were injured so badly that bone was exposed, the records said, and her right hand was missing.
Blood-stained clothing was also found in a field adjacent to Streit's body .
The Spokane County Medical Examiner's Office is investigating Streit's cause and manner of death.
The dog is being held at Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service pending further investigation, according to the sheriff's office. County spokesperson Pat Bell said the dog has no bite history. Streit adopted the dog in October from SCRAPS, he said.
This is the second reported fatal pit bull attack on a person in the Spokane area in a month and a half. One attacked and killed a child on Halloween night, Spokane police said in November.