18-year-old woman dies after being mauled by dogs in California: police

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. -- A woman died after she was attacked by dogs in Madera County, California on Monday.

The mauling happened around 3:30 pm in Coarsegold, California.

Loved ones have identified the victim as 18-year-old Lexis Salas.

"I feel sorry that's the way she had to leave Earth, you know. That's not a way anybody should have to pass away or endure anything like that in their lifetime," the victim's friend Vanessa Gomez said.

Gomez said Salas died at the scene.

"We seen them too, we thought maybe they just got into a fight with each other because both dogs were covered in blood," Gomez said.

But then, Gomez realized the unthinkable had happened, when she saw her friend mauled to death.

"I just keep picturing her in my head. It's hard," Gomez said.

The Madera County Sheriff's Office said, when animal control tried to take the dangerous dogs into custody, two escaped.

One of the pit bull mixes was quickly caught and immediately euthanized.

The other was on the loose overnight, leaving workers and neighbors in the area on edge.

"It's kind of spooky," said Isaiah Phillips, who works in Coarsegold.

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"The third one is still at large; so, it's like, be careful. We are just kind of letting customers know, be careful. Get in your cars as quick as you can, and watch your step."

Tuesday afternoon, deputies finally caught the last canine.

"And in this case, there was no way for us to safely take those dogs into custody. And ultimately, there was no way for us to safely do that beyond euthanizing the dogs," Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue said.

Sheriff Pogue said the current identified owner is cooperating with the investigation, but deputies are still working to determine if people knew the dogs were aggressive.

"I don't think anybody would ever want to live with the fact that their dog got out and hurt another animal or hurt another person. I don't think that's anything any owner wants, and it's an extremely tragic and sad situation we're in today," Sheriff Pogue said.

The victim's birth mother is still trying to come to terms with her unthinkable death.

"She went through so much, and, to die like that, it's just hard. It's hard to wrap my head around. It's hard to understand," Kellie Pruitt said.

Loved ones are now sharing how they want the 18-year-old to be remembered.

"She was always smiling; she had like a really bright and cooked smile," Gomez said.

"Just knowing how bubbly she still was and how positive she still was, and funny, just funny," Pruitt said.

The land where the incident happened is managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Friends and family have set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses.