Dog owner convicted of second-degree murder in fatal attack on woman

A dog owner was convicted Friday of second-degree murder in the grisly mauling death last year of a woman who was attacked by four pit bills in the Antelope Valley town of Littlerock.

The case, set against the backdrop of a region that often serves as a dumping ground for unwanted pets, was one of only a handful of trials nationwide in which prosecutors have brought murder charges in a fatal dog attack.

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office contended that Alex Jackson, 31, deserved to be found guilty of murder because he knew his dogs were dangerous before the May 2013 attack on Pamela Devitt. Devitt, 63, was out for a morning walk when the dogs attacked, tearing into her body, limbs and head.

Devitt’s husband, Ben, said he was gratified by the verdict, which jurors reached after about four hours of deliberations.

“This guy was irresponsible and reckless with the dogs and it led to this,” the 67-year-old said.

In the week-long trial in a Lancaster courtroom, jurors were told that nearly all of Devitt’s hair was gone and her skull exposed in the attack. An autopsy determined she suffered as many as 200 puncture wounds. Patches of her skin were missing, and some of her wounds were so deep they exposed bone.

Coroner’s officials determined Devitt died from blood loss in an ambulance on the way to the hospital.

Fatal dog attacks are rare in the United States, which has about 75 million dogs. The National Canine Research Council estimates about 30 people are killed by dogs each year.

In Jackson’s trial, the prosecution argued that his dogs were involved in at least seven other altercations in the 18 months leading up to the attack on Devitt.

Taking the stand in his defense this week, Jackson said he was unaware of most of the incidents and would have gotten rid of the animals had he known they were capable of seriously hurting or killing someone.

His attorney, Al Kim, said Jackson was disappointed by the verdict.

“He is very concerned about what happened. He feels terrible,” Kim said. “He was just a pit bull lover.”

Kim said his client bears some responsibility for Devitt’s death but that animal control also deserves blame. The county agency, he said, responded a number of times to Jackson’s home after complaints about the dogs and thus was aware of the animals’ behavior.

“My client is going to prison for a significant amount of time, possibly the rest of his life,” Kim said. “Yet what happens to animal control?”

Deputy Dist. Atty. Ryan Williams said Jackson used the animals as guard dogs for a marijuana-growing operation he ran from his home. After the attack on Devitt, authorities found more than 90 marijuana plants in various stages of development at the home, the prosecutor said.

“He wanted people to get away from his house,” Williams said. “If you have an animal you know is dangerous to people, it is your responsibility to keep that animal contained so the community is safe.”

Jackson was also found guilty of cultivating marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and possession of a controlled substance. He was acquitted of a charge of assault with a deadly weapon.

He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 3 and faces at least 15 years to life in prison.

Although Jackson’s conviction makes the victim’s husband — who now lives in Washington with his son — feel better about the case, he said it was hard to see the verdict as a victory.

“She’s still not here,” he said.

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