Coroner: Prelim Autopsy Results Show Pit Bull "Responsible For This Attack"

Update 8/16 2p.m.:

Preliminary results from the autopsy conducted on Darla Napora - who police believe was by her pet pit bull on Thursday - and from the necropsy conducted on the suspect dog have been released.

According to a pathologist and two odontologists (bite experts) - one of whom had experience with recent dog attacks in the Bay Area at the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office - Napora died of a loss of blood from dog bites coupled with shock.

The 32-year-old Pacifica woman, who was pregnant at the time, lived at 588 Reina Del Mar Avenue with her husband and two pet pit bulls.

The of the necropsy on the suspect two-year-old male unneutered pit bull that was shot by police shortly after they arrived at Napora’s residence on Thursday show that the dog was responsible for the attack, Chief Jim Tasa said.

The evidence included hair and tissue sample removed from the dog. Teeth impressions from the dog match wounds on the victim, said Chief Tasa.

Teeth impressions were also taken of the family’s other pit bull, a female. No evidence shows that this dog was involved in the attack, said Chief Tasa. The Peninsula Humane Society took the dog after the incident to be inspected by a veterinarian.

There was no evidence of any other trauma to Napora’s body, the preliminary results of the autopsy show.

Complete and final reports on both the autopsy and necropsy won’t be available for another two or three weeks, Chief Tasa said. 

Police also served a search warrant on Napora’s residence on Friday to collect fluid evidence to piece together the events of Thursday.

What police do know is that Napora’s husband, Greg, called 911 just after noon on Thursday to report what he believed to be a dog attack. He found his wife lying in the front room of their home and the male pit bull standing over her when he returned from work shortly before.

When police arrived, the victim was unresponsive and not breathing. While first responders were examining her body, the dog escaped from the back yard and began approaching them. Police shot the dog three times, killing it.

Greg Napora told police that the pit bull had been secured in the backyard before he left for work that morning.

After examining the scene, police believed that the dog had mauled and killed the victim. Emergency staff could not revive the victim.

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