Man, 60, killed in pit bull attack

A Rubidoux man died Friday after he was mauled by two pit bulls, officials said.

The 60-year-old victim lived with the dogs at the home where he was attacked, according to Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez, a spokesman for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. The dogs -- a male and female -- belonged to a relative.

“He was just sitting in the backyard smoking a cigarette and for some reason the dogs attacked him,” Gutierrez said. The victim died at the scene.

The dogs were signed over to the Riverside County Department of Animal Services by the owner and euthanized, said spokesman John Welsh.