Joshua Tree Woman Dies After Being Mauled By 4 Pit Bulls

JOSHUA TREE (CBSLA) – A 70-year-old woman was killed when her friend's four pit bulls attacked her late Wednesday night at her Joshua Tree home.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department reports that the woman, identified as Lana Bergman, was mauled by the pit bulls at around 10 p.m. at her home in the 59000 block of Sunflower Drive.

She was home alone with the dogs when the attack happened. She passed away a short time later, SBSD reports.

The pit bulls belonged to a male friend who resided with Bergman and her husband, deputies learned. Bergman had helped care for the dogs for the past year and considered them "family pets," the sheriff's department said in a news release.

A reason for the attack is still unknown. The dogs appeared well cared for, deputies said.

The dogs were seized by San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control officers.