INDIANAPOLIS (WXIN) — A sheriff’s deputy in Indiana is dead and her son is in the hospital after they were attacked while dogsitting at their home in Indianapolis on Tuesday.

Officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department were called around 8 p.m. to a home on the city’s east side, on reports of an aggressive animal. Upon arrival, IMPD said officers spoke with neighbors who said that a person had been attacked by an aggressive dog inside a nearby house. Officers attempted to get inside and found a woman laying on the ground, injured, inside an adjacent garage.

IMPD Major Mike Leepper said on scene that officers attempted to get inside the garage but were cut off by an aggressive dog. Officers then had to “destroy” the dog, Leepper said.

IEMS and Indianapolis fire crews were called to the scene for medical attention. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. She was later identified as 46-year-old Tamieka White, a sheriff’s deputy with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said White had been a deputy for the sheriff’s department since 2007, working in the Judicial Enforcement Division.

“Deputy White was a bright light to all that knew her,” said Sheriff Kerry Forestal. “We are immensely grateful for her nearly 17 years of service to our agency. We will work to uphold her legacy as a courageous and dedicated public servant.”

White’s 8-year-old son, who was also inside the home, had been bitten by the aggressive dog as well. That boy, IMPD said, was taken to a local trauma center.

Leepper said that multiple other animals, including three dogs, were found to be inside the home. An initial investigation into the attack by homicide detectives shows that the dogs were “meant to be” at the home and did not come from outside.

A source with law enforcement said only one of the dogs belonged to White. She was dogsitting the three other dogs, including the attacking dog, for a friend.

Indianapolis Animal Care Services confirmed that animal control had recently been called out to the home on a report of loose and aggressive dogs. On Saturday, at around 3 p.m., an animal control officer sent by IACS found two dogs in front of a broken fence on the side of the house. A friend of the dogs’ owner reportedly approached the officer and contacted the owner about the loose dogs.

IACS said three live dogs, one dead dog, and one cat were impounded from the east side home following the deadly attack. IACS said all of the dogs, including the deceased dog, appeared to be “pit bull-type dogs,” but could not confirm the breed without a DNA test.

The dogs are being held as part of an investigation into the incident.

Eric Graves contributed to this report.