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

Houston officers were searching for the woman, who was believed to be in her 60s, Tuesday morning when they discovered the animal in the Horsepen Bayou outside Houston.

An officer then fatally shot the alligator “to prevent it from doing more damage to the remains,” in its mouth, Houston police said.

Police recovered the woman’s remains, authorities said, and they are waiting on autopsy results to determine the cause of death.

It is not clear whether the alligator killed the woman or whether the woman was already dead when it came upon her, police said.

The incident is under investigation.

The woman’s identity is pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com