Woman and her two dogs killed after being struck by lightning during thunderstorm

A 52-year-old woman and her two dogs were killed by a lightning strike during a thunderstorm.

Antonia Mendoza Chavez's body, along with those of her pets, were found on a path along San Gabriel Riverbed, in Los Angeles County's Pico Rivera on Wednesday morning.

She is understood to have walked the same trail every day and is the first known victim of a lightning strike in the county this year.

CCTV footage shows her earlier that morning as she headed out from her home with the dogs.

Police and paramedics were pictured at the scene, with emergency vehicles parked alongside a grass embankment.

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Antonia Mendoza Chavez was found dead (ABC7)

They were called to the area of Rimbank and Mines avenues around 8.50am.

Pico Rivera City Manager Steve Carmona warned local residents to stay indoors amid the stormy weather.

He said: "We should all be cautious with this activity that's in the area.

A woman and her two dogs were killed by lightning during a thunderstorm (KTTV)

"We want everybody to be careful. There's a lot of instability in the air. Just be careful and do your best to stay indoors at this time."

Ms Chavez was the first person in the county to die from a lightning strike this year.

Lightning deaths are rare in California, with only nine people dying from them since 2006.

Ms Chavez was seen on CCTV heading out with her dogs the day she died (ABC7)

The National Weather Service's Los Angeles branch said on Twitter that residents in San Gabriel Valley alerted residents to another downpour and "dangerous lightning" following the incident.

Resident Mary Perez told KABC: "I'm scared. I told my granddaughter and her friend, she's not walking to school, I'm taking her. I think more about the lightning. Not that I never thought about it. I didn't think it could really do that. It's just awful."

Ms Chavez's landlord said she walked the same trail every morning.

Gloria Colocho said after hearing someone had died, she desperately tried to get in touch with her tenant.

She told ABC7: "I called her and I texted her and she didn't answer, and the message was not delivered to the cell phone.

"I called her and it went straight to voicemail, and from there, I had this feeling that it was her.

`'I checked my camera...she left around 7:30 a.m. and I see her with her two dogs, and she left the house and she hasn't come back at all."