A dog pack murder charge is being leveled against a man who allowed his pit bulls to maul and kill a jogger in Southern California.
Police arrested 29-year-old Alex Jackson on a warrant for felony murder, also charging him with negligence, said Jane Robison, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.
The dog pack murder took place May 9, when 63-year-old jogger Pamela Devitt was attacked by four pit bulls in Palmdale. A driver passing by witnessed the attack and tried to deter the dogs by honking his horn, but he could not stop the attack.
By the time a deputy arrived there was one dog still attacking the runner. He chased it off into the desert, but it came back and tried to attack the deputy. He took a shot at the animal before it retreated back to the desert.
Devitt was rushed to a nearby hospital, but died in the ambulance.
The killing sent police on a manhunt in the area to find the dogs before they could attack again.
“Sheriffs deputies are knocking on doors in the neighborhood, patrolling and warning people in the area,” Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Captain Mike Parker said in the hours after the dog pack murder.
Within hours police found the pack at Jackson’s hose, seizing eight dogs. Four of those dogs were believed to have attacked Devitt.
Police initially arrested Jackson, but he was released on bail while police conducted DNA testing to find out if it was indeed his dogs that carried out the attack. Police said they have received other complaints about Jackson’s dogs, including at least three other reports of attacks. He has also been charged with growing marijuana.
“I do not blame the dogs. I don’t blame pit bulls,” said Ben Devitt. husband of the dog pack murder victim. “I blame people who don’t take responsibility for their animals.”
This is not the first dog pack murder charge brought forward in California. In San Francisco a husband and wife were charged after their dog mauled and killed a neighbor.