Littlerock Dog Owner Pleads Not Guilty in Fatal Attack

CALIFORNIA -- A Littlerock man accused of owning pit bulls that fatally attacked a Littlerock woman in May pleaded not guilty Wednesday.

Alex Donald Jackson, 28, of Littlerock, pleaded not guilty to six counts when he was arraigned at Los Angeles Superiot Court in Lancaster.

Jackson was charged with murder, an animal causing human death/owner negligence, cultivating marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, possession of a controlled substance and assault with a deadly weapon.

Jackson will be back in court for a preliminary hearing Aug. 19, when a judge will determine if there’s enough evidence to make Jackson stand trial for the charges.

Pamela Devitt was walking in the desert by her Littlerock home May 9, at 9:30 a.m., when she was suddenly attacked by a pack of four pit bulls, according to a Sheriff’s Department statement.

A passerby saw the dogs mauling the victim and called 9-1-1.

When a deputy arrived on scene, he saw there was a pit bull still engaged in attacking the victim.

The deputy was able to chase the dog away and summoned paramedics, who were in the process of transporting and treating the victim when she succumbed to her injuries.

During their investigation, Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau investigators recovered eight dogs, six pit bulls and two mixed breeds, from Jackson’s Littlerock home. Four of the pit bulls were believed to be involved in the attack.

Further examination of the pit bulls revealed they had what appeared to be blood on their coats and muzzles.

On May 11, an examination by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office was conducted on victim Pamela Devitt to determine her cause of death.

The cause of death was blood loss attributed to sharp force trauma, according to the Coroner’s Office.

The sharp force trauma was caused by the dog attack where the victim sustained approximately 150-200 puncture wounds.

DNA tests were conducted on the blood found on the pit bulls and those tests revealed that the blood on the dogs belonged to Devitt.

The case was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and on May 29, the District Attorney filed charges of murder on Jackson, who is the owner of the dogs.

On May 30, Jackson was arrested at his residence and booked at Palmdale Sheriff’s Station for murder.

Jackson is being held in lieu of $1,050,000 bail. Deputy District Attorney Samantha MacDonald is prosecuting the case.

(SCVNEWS.com - Aug 7, 2013)

Earlier:

• Pit bull owner charged with murder had dogs put down in '06