Alligator Kills Florida Woman Walking Dogs: Officials Then Make a Disturbing Find

A Florida woman was killed by an alligator in Florida, and, according to reports, a gruesome discovery was made in connection to the case.

Officials said that a 12-foot-long alligator attacked and killed a woman in Davie, Florida, according to USA Today. The woman, Shizuka Matsuki, 47, was walking her dogs.

A witness told authorities he saw the woman walking her dogs and noticed the dogs barking near the water. He didn’t see the woman again, the Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.

“Her dogs won’t leave the pond,” Davie Police Maj. Dale Engle told the paper on Friday. “One of her dogs got bit by the gator.”

Authorities closed the park Friday after the development.

“Any body of water in Florida, you’ve got to know at some point or another there’s an alligator,” said Heather Porrata, a local woman, USA Today reported.

Authorities said that when they captured the alligator, they found that it had an arm inside its stomach. The arm’s tattoo matched one that Matsuki had, Fox News reported.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said on Saturday that it will be “conducting a thorough investigation into this incident.” It added, “We would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Shizuka Matsuki. Search teams located the body of Ms. Matsuki June 8 at the Silver Lakes Rotary Nature Park lake in Davie.”

Peter Limia, who lived near Matsuki and her husband, said that she went to the park on a regular basis.

“It’s not uncommon for her to go there,” Limia said. “It’s such a sad story, I can’t even process it…something like this is so freakish.”

A man who identified himself as a friend of the family told WSVN that her husband was in Chicago when the attack occurred.

Friends also said he'd warned her to stay away from the lake area due to the presence of alligators.

“There are plenty of gators in this lake,” Patricia Ramsaran said, Fox reported. “I’m out here all the time with my kids and my husband. You can see them. They’re at least [8-foot], 9-foot alligators.”

Watch Next:

Why is Falun Gong Persecuted?

Although it’s freely practiced in over 70 countries, doing this in China can lead to unlawful arrest, imprisonment, torture, or even death.