Elderly woman mauled and partially eaten by pigs on Christmas day, police say

Ohio police say they are investigating the death of an elderly woman who was mauled and partially eaten by pigs on Christmas day.

The Pataskala Police Department said officers were called to the home of Rebecca Westergaard Rigney on a welfare check after the 75-year-old failed to show up to a family celebration for the holiday, according to a WBNS-TV report.

‘I’ve never seen pigs besides from the market down the street. It’s very confusing.’

When police arrived at Rigney’s home on Mink Street, they found her dead on the front steps of her porch, and they noted that she had injuries to her legs.

The responding officer said that a large pig appeared near the home while he was trying to secure the area, and someone told him that the pig belonged to a neighbor. Police found at least two pigs at the neighbor’s home, and the owners were told that they would need to be quarantined for the investigation.

The Licking County Coroner’s Office ruled her death as accidental and determined that Rigney had bled to death from extensive superficial injuries by livestock animals. They also said she was on blood thinners and had prior health conditions with her heart.

Police told the Columbus Dispatch that they were unsure whether charges would be filed against the owners because the attackers were livestock rather than dogs.

“If it was a pit bull or a Rottweiler, or name any of the other 15 dogs that are deemed semi aggressive, then we would know the answer right away,” said Pataskala Police Chief Bruce Brooks. “But being farm animals, it’s just not something we’ve ever dealt with here.”

David Mullings, a resident in the neighborhood spoke to WBNS about the incident.

“It’s pretty crazy and wild. There are not wild pigs roaming. I’ve never seen pigs besides from the market down the street. It’s very confusing,” said Mullings. “It would be nice to get clarification on what actually happened. What’s going on in our neighborhood?”

An official report from the coroner’s office is expected to be completed in four to six weeks.

Scenes from the woman’s home can be viewed on the news report from WBNS on YouTube.

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