A California man who was attacked by a pack of pit bulls died from “multiple injuries,” PEOPLE confirmed. Dominic Anthony Cooper, believed to be a pit bull breeder, died after an “accident” from “multiple dog injuries,” according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner report obtained by PEOPLE.
However, the medical examiner’s report said his death was “likely due to multiple factors” and that “no obvious, rapidly fatal injuries were identified, e.g.
injury to major blood vessels or internal organs.” Factors leading to his death included “loss of blood”, “physical exhaustion following the attack” and “possible hypothermia”.
The report stated that “this cannot be concluded with certainty” and clarified, based on “the history, circumstances, and autopsy, as [the medical examiner] currently knows, that the circumstances of death was an accident.”
According to the medical examiner’s report, the 35-year-old man suffered “multiple penetrating [and] traumatic injuries,” including “injuries involving the upper and lower extremities.” Cooper’s “multiple scratches” ranged from “1/4 to 3/4 inch”, and “round, irregular, and linear” scratches were identified throughout his body, especially was on the “limbs and buttocks”, with “several bite-like marks” .
” Cooper’s body was first discovered in a kennel in his backyard in Compton, California, on February 16. There were a total of 13 pit bulls – five adult dogs and eight puppy – in the garden, according to medical examiner results. Before Cooper was attacked, surveillance footage showed Cooper cleaning his garden and feeding the dog on February 15 about 7:44 p.m. local time, PEOPLE previously reported. About six minutes later, he was attacked by a pack of adult dogs near the wire kennel.
“The dogs continued to attack the deceased and tore his clothes. After about five to six minutes, the deceased got up from the ground and moved into one of the cots,” the report said. He then moved to the top of a small alcove, but soon stood up and fell to the ground and “passed out while lying down.
” The next morning, he was discovered by his girlfriend and called the authorities.
After the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department and Animal Control arrived on the scene, Cooper was pronounced dead at approximately 8:10 a.m. that morning.