A 13-foot (4 m) alligator was killed in Florida and the remains of a woman were found in its jaws, police said.
A witness told local media that the alligator was seen in a Largo canal clutching the lower torso in its mouth.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said the animal was killed and confirmed the remains of 41-year-old Sabrina Beckham were found in the waterway.
The investigation will determine the circumstances behind the woman’s death.
Police said deputies were called at 13:50 local time on Friday after a body was reported in the waterway.
Jamarcus Bullard said he was walking to a job interview when he first saw the alligator with what looked like a mannequin in its mouth.
“I noticed there was a body in its mouth – like a lower torso – so I ran straight to the fire department,” he told local broadcaster Fox 13.
“It was my first time seeing a gator in real life, so I was pretty cool, but as soon as I saw it I was like, ‘Is that like a mannequin?’
“It was pale and white.”
“It clamped onto it and swam back to the bottom of the canal…I couldn’t believe it was real,” he said in another interview with 10 Tampa Bay.
A fundraising page for Ms Beckham is said to have been set up by her family, who was living in a homeless camp near a wooded area at the time of her death.
Bruna Doris, who claimed to be the victim’s daughter, wrote on Facebook: “It is believed she may have been walking to or from her campsite near the creek in the dark and the alligator struck from the water.
“No one deserves to die like this.”
Authorities said the crocodile was humanely killed and removed from the waterway before a police dive team recovered Ms Beckham’s remains.
News footage shows a large alligator sprawled on the sidewalk surrounded by police and emergency vehicles.
The medical examiner’s office has not yet determined the cause of death.
Residents of the area said they had seen small crocodiles before, but not the size of the animal seen in this case.
Jennifer Dean 10 told Tampa Bay: “It’s crazy. My kids walk there all the time. So it’s really scary. I’ve seen four or five-foot gators, but nothing big.”
Mr Bullard added: “I’m going to get myself a bike or start catching the bus to work. They’ve got tiny little gates, but somebody’s dead.”
