Woman found dead in Costco parking lot was mauled by three dogs, police say

A woman whose body was discovered over the weekend in a Costco parking lot in Bakersfield had been mauled by three dogs, according to police.

The woman was found dead in the parking lot of the Costco store at 3800 Rosedale Highway about 6 a.m. Sunday with traumatic injuries that investigators determined were wounds from a dog attack, said Bakersfield police Sgt. Nathan McCauley.

The woman has not been identified, but authorities said she was homeless and was in her late 30s or early 40s. Her exact cause of death has not been determined.

“We’re not sure if the dogs caused her death or if she had another medical issue,” McCauley said.

The altercation between the woman and the dogs likely began at an industrial yard near the warehouse store and ended in the parking lot based on paw prints and other evidence at the scene, McCauley said.

Two of the dogs involved in the attack — a pit bull terrier and a mixed breed — belonged to a nearby business owner. The third dog, a pit bull terrier, was a stray. One of the dogs has already been euthanized, and the rest are scheduled to be killed, McCauley said.

“It’s a very unusual occurrence, and without any witnesses or surveillance video, it’s hard to know exactly what caused this,” he said.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @Hannahnfry