A woman found dead in a field Wednesday just east of the Spokane city limits between Minnehaha Park and the Spokane River had injuries believed to have been caused by a dog found at the scene, according to the Spokane County Sheriff's Office.
The Spokane County Medical Examiner's Office identified the woman as 65-year-old Carol Streit. Her cause and manner of death are pending.
Streit was located with her dog shortly after 4 p.m. in a vacant field southwest of East Buckeye Avenue and North Custer Road, the sheriff's office said in a news release.
The dog, which was not on a leash, exhibited protective, aggressive behavior, preventing deputies and medical personnel from assessing the unresponsive woman's condition, the sheriff's office said.
Deputies eventually coaxed the animal away from Streit, allowing medics to check for signs of life. Deputies said Streit was pronounced dead at the scene.
The dog is being held at Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service pending further investigation, according to the sheriff's office.
The release said it appeared Streit was not lying in the field for a considerable amount of time. The only obvious wounds Streit had were to her upper extremities and are believed to have been caused by the dog. Additional testing is needed before that can be confirmed.
Major Crimes detectives are investigating. Investigators do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the public.
Streit's death marked the fourth one in the last week in or near the Minnehaha Neighborhood.
Sarah Campbell, 39, died in a two-vehicle crash Dec. 6 on East Frederick Avenue and North Carnahan Road. Witnesses told deputies Campbell crossed the center line in a sedan before striking a minivan traveling in the opposite direction. Several others in the two vehicles were injured.
Last Friday night, Spokane police found a man and a woman dead after gunshots were heard in the area of Cleveland Avenue and Cuba Street, Spokane police said. Officers found a man dead in a vehicle and a woman dead in the street.
The medical examiner's office identified 37-year-old Colton Russell and 23-year-old Kiara Morgan-Weiland as the people who died. The cause and manner of the deaths are pending.
Police's Major Crimes Unit is investigating.
