Police killed alligator after a woman's remains were found inside its mouth in Texas

A Houston police officer shot and killed an alligator after it was found with the remains of a woman inside its mouth, officials said in a statement.

Authorities were looking for the woman, believed to be in her 60s, after she was reported missing in an area near a lake in Texas Tuesday morning, police said.

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While searching in the area, a police officer found the alligator and fatally shot the animal "to prevent it from doing more damage to the remains," police said.

The woman wasn't identified and it wasn't clear if she was fatally attacked by the alligator or whether she had a different accident when it came upon her.

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Houston police said they are waiting for an autopsy result to determine her cause of death. Meanwhile, the case remains under investigation.