Colusa woman was alive before dog mauling

The Colusa woman found dead in her yard Tuesday morning was alive when her own dog mauled her, the Colusa County Coroner's Office reported Wednesday.

Linda Leal, 51, was found by her husband sometime after 7 a.m., her neck showing signs of a dog attack, and the family's mixed breed pit bull had her blood on him.

"She was still alive during the mauling," sheriff's Lt. Shane Maxey said Wednesday after an autopsy was performed by a pathologist from the Forensic Medical Group in Roseville.

"The cause of death is pending toxicology, which could take a month or so."

The time of death has not been determined either, Maxey said.

Maxey said the toxicology tests are necessary "to make sure she didn't have something in her system that put her in that position."

Enrique Leal told investigators that the last time he saw his wife was about 7 p.m. Monday when he went upstairs to bed. He reported she was fine at that time.

Because of Linda Leal's apparent health issues, she slept downstairs, authorities reported.

Enrique Leal came downstairs about 7 a.m. Tuesday and could not find his wife in the house. He found her outside in the yard, Colusa interim Police Chief Ross Stark reported.

Leal called paramedics, who brought in the police after determining she was dead.

The dog was taken from the property and later put down. A second family dog, one with a history of some violence, was penned at the time, but also removed from the property, officials said.

The couple had been married for nine years, officials said.