Elderly Woman Killed and Eaten by Neighbor's Pigs in Horrifying Attack As Police Left Baffled: 'Not Something We've Ever Dealt With'
An Ohio woman was mauled and killed by her neighbor's pigs on Christmas Day.
Jan. 7 2025, Published 6:50 p.m. ET
A 75-year-old woman was killed and partially devoured by her neighbor's pigs in a shocking Christmas Day attack.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Rebecca Westergaard of Pataskala, Ohio, was mauled by two roaming animals near her home, prompting police to investigate whether the incident can be determined as a crime.
Rebecca Westergaard's body was found by police after she failed to visit her niece in the afternoon.
The alarm was raised by Westergaard's niece, who was expecting her aunt for a visit that afternoon. When officers conducted a welfare check, they found her aunt's mutilated body on the property.
As Westergaard's family mourns the violent incident, police are examining the case to determine the exact circumstances of her death.
Being that pigs are farm animals, police are still determining whether the incident can be labeled as a crime.
Pataskala Police Chief Bruce Brooks referred to the case as a "horrible, horrible situation."
He added: "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. But being farm animals, it's just not something we've ever dealt with here."
The owner of the pigs, a neighbor of Westergaard who has not been named, has not yet been charged with a crime.
An autopsy will be conducted, with results anticipated in four to six weeks.
It is currently unclear whether the pigs have been found and returned to their owner.
While dog attacks often hold owners accountable, deaths involving farm animals – like pigs – are rare and uncharted, according to Brooks.
Although pigs can be dangerous, fatal attacks are more common with wild boars.
A report from Farm Journal revealed that wild pigs cause more annual fatalities than sharks, with an average of nearly 20 deaths per year compared to sharks' 5.8.
The attack comes as a Spanish tourist in Thailand was recently killed by an elephant's trunk.
A 2021 report highlighted a rare case where a farmer was found dead in his pigsty after being attacked by a sow and piglets. While domestic pigs are typically calm, they can become aggressive and cause severe injuries, leading to the farmer's death from extensive bleeding.
News of Westergaard's death comes just after RadarOnline.com revealed a Thailand tourist was killed by an elephant.
The 22-year-old tourist, Blanca Ojanguren García, from Valladolid in northwest Spain, was said to be bathing the 50-year-old elephant at the Koh Yao Elephant Care when the incident occurred.
According to Spanish newspapers El Mundo and El Pais, 18 people – including Garcia's own boyfriend – were present for the attack.
However, nobody else was injured.
Garcia was reportedly pushed by the elephant's trunk and later died from her injuries at a local hospital.
The University of Navarra, where she studied law and international relations, issued a statement following her death.
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18 people were reportedly present for the Thailand attack that resulted in Blanca Ojanguren García's death.
They wrote on X: "The Faculty of Law expresses its sorrow for the death of our Law and International Relations student in Thailand. We share the grief of her family and ask for prayers for her soul."
Koh Yao Elephant Care closed its doors after the incident and has not disclosed when or if it will reopen to the public.
According to El Mundo, the center houses three elephants, including the one involved in the incident.
The sanctuary has not yet commented on Garcia's death.
