Dog attack death leads to marijuana grow arrest
Pamela Marie Devitt was jogging when attacked by the dogs that killed her.
LITTLEROCK—The May 9th fatal mauling of a 69-year-old Littlerock woman by a group of vicious dogs led Los Angeles Sheriffs Department deputies to a hidden marijuana grow—all in a town with a population of 1,377. The community of Littlerock is in the north east part of Los Angeles County, near Palmdale. The LASD has already arrested 29-year-old Alex Donald Jackson in connection with the marijuana while the Department of Animal Care and Control detained eight dogs suspected of being involved in the victim’s death.
According to an LASD press release, the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station received a phone call that a woman was being attacked by a group dogs in the area of 116th Street East and Avenue S. When the first deputy arrived, he witnessed a single pit bull attacking the victim, later identified as Littlerock resident Pamela Marie Devitt. The deputy fired his gun at the dog, causing it to flee towards the surrounding desert. Mrs. Devitt died on the way to the hospital from her wounds.
As deputies began to search for the offending dogs, Animal Control and local residents pointed them to a house at the 37300 block of 115th Street. After obtaining search warrants, Animal Control took possession of six pit bulls and 2 mixed breed dogs found at the residence. It was during that same search that officers discovered the marijuana grow and arrested Jackson.
Alex Donald Jackson is accused of operating a marijuana grow on the Littlerock property where he also kept 8 dogs. Image from Google Earth.
Jackson was arrested for possession of marijuana for sale and is being held on $20,000 bail. While the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office determines the reason behind Devitt’s death, detectives have still not confirmed whether the dogs captured are responsible.
This was not the first time that this group of dogs was a cause of concern for locals.
“We got some information from Animal Control and the community that this house has contained pit bulls that have been aggressive in the past,” Lt. John Corina said in an interview with CBS Los Angeles.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
UPDATE: Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office announced that Alex Jackson was arrested Thursday, May 30th on charges of murder in the death of Mrs. Devitt. The cause of death had been determined to be blood loss attributed to sharp force trauma, which was caused by the attack on the victim by four dogs owned by Jackson. His bail was set at $1,050,000.
Read More:
CBS Los Angeles: Officials ID Jogger Killed By Pit Bulls, DNA Testing On Dogs Underway
Antelope Valley Times: Victim ID’d in fatal mauling, fate of captured dogs uncertain
UT San Diego: Person of interest named in Calif. jogger mauling
