Alligator discovered in Houston, Texas, with remains of woman in jaw

The body of a woman in her sixties was found Tuesday morning in the mouth of an alligator in Houston, police said.

The remains of the unidentified woman were discovered around 8:40 a.m. in the mouth of the reptile, which was wandering in Horsepen Bayou, Houston police said in a statement. Officers were searching for a woman who was reported missing at the time of the incident, according to the department.

A Houston police sergeant shot the alligator to prevent the animal from “doing further damage to the remains,” the department said.

The Houston Police Dive Team responded to the scene and recovered the remains and the alligator from the bayou, according to the release.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences is conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death and the woman’s identity, police said.

“It’s a little scary.”

Angela Derous, who fished the bayou Tuesday evening, told KTRK that alligators “live there.”

“We’re seeing 8-foot, 10-foot babies,” Derous said. “I know which banks to stay away from and where they like to bask in the sun. This is the first time I’ve heard of this here. It’s a bit scary.”

Being killed by an alligator is rare in Texas, as the last reported incident has not occurred since 2015. A 28-year-old man was killed by an alligator while swimming in Adams Bayou in Orange, Texas , KTRK reported. It would be the first fatal attack in more than 90 years, according to the Houston-based television station.