A Lake Placid, Florida, man was found dead with approximately 100 dog bites after taking a shortcut to his home.
The victim, identified as Melvin Olds Jr., was discovered by authorities July 4. On the same day, investigators came to believe the 45-year-old was attacked by at least six dogs during his walk home.
Highlands County Sheriff's Office said his body had 100 dog bites but they are unsure of the exact number of dogs responsible. Six dogs were captured and traps have been set around the area to capture others.
"While we may have the dogs that were responsible for this horrible tragedy, we won't know for sure for a while," Sheriff Paul Blackman said in a statement.
Thus far, the six canines' teeth match bite marks located on Olds' body.
"That alone is not enough to say that they were the animals involved," the sheriff's office said in a statement.
According to Fox 6, Olds' fiancee, Jannell Ward, saw a pack of dogs in the neighborhood before learning the heartbreaking news.
“They growled a couple times but they never ran up to me,” Ward told WFLA.“They never came at me or insinuated that they were going to bite me. I never got that feeling.”
Police said biting cases are atypical. Lt. Clay Kinslow said when dogs are in packs, it's difficult to predict their behavior. So, there are times the dogs could have been harmless.
“We do work bite cases,” Kinslow said. “As far as a pack of dogs that attacked somebody, we don’t have many of those cases honestly.”
Investigators have yet to disclose the types of breeds captured. They have also yet to report if any of the dogs have owners.
"I want to encourage residents of Highway Park and the surrounding area to be on the lookout for any loose dogs, especially those that seem aggressive," Blackman said. "We don't want anyone else to be injured."