header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
January 11
1963 - Abandoned SPRR Newhall Depot burns down; chilly hobos blamed [story]
abandoned SPRR Newhall depot in ruins


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.

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

2 Comments

  1. Laura says:

    “It’s the deed not the breed!!” Lol j/k

    Seriously. Maulings almost daily. Starting to think it just *might* be the breed…

  2. Marc Brown says:

    Murder is the correct charge. This man’s pit bulls roamed habitually. They’d attacked before. He explicitly said he didn’t care. He knew they would someday kill someone, though of course he’ll deny that now.

    This is murder just as much as putting poison in bottles of aspirin in a store was, randomly killing people who happened to buy one of those poisoned bottles. The person who did the poisoning was charged with murder.

    Not only that, but the entire industry started bottling meds and such in such a way that we can see if the package has been tampered with. Time to radically regulate the pit bull type dog industry too — namely by banning these types of dogs altogether.

Leave a Comment


SCV NewsBreak
LOCAL NEWS HEADLINES
Friday, Jan 9, 2026
COC Board of Trustees Names Officers for 2026
The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees, which oversees College of the Canyons, named its new officers and confirmed its 2026 meeting schedule at the board's organizational meeting held on Friday, Jan. 9.
Friday, Jan 9, 2026
Feb. 21: Rain Barrel Class, Purchase Program Available
The city of Santa Clarita is hosting its next Rain Barrel Purchase Program and class beginning Saturday, Feb. 21, from 9 to 11 a.m., at Newhall Community Center located at 22421 Market St., Newhall, CA.
Friday, Jan 9, 2026
Jan. 19: Building Community at Fifth Annual MLK, Jr. Day Unity Walk
The city of Santa Clarita invites the community to come together in reflection, service and unity at the fifth annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Unity Walk on Monday, Jan. 19, at 9 a.m. at Central Park, 27150 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91350.
Keep Up With Our Facebook

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
1963 - Abandoned SPRR Newhall Depot burns down; chilly hobos blamed [story]
abandoned SPRR Newhall depot in ruins
This week marked the one-year anniversary of the Eaton Fire. As I reflect on the past year and look toward what lies ahead, my message to survivors is clear: I see your pain, I respect your resilience and I remain committed to walking with you on the long road ahead.
Kathryn Barger | One Year Later
1847 - John C. Fremont & troops camp at today's Sierra Hwy. & Newhall Ave. en route to signing cease-fire agreement with Gen. Andres Pico [story]
John C. Fremont
The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees, which oversees College of the Canyons, named its new officers and confirmed its 2026 meeting schedule at the board's organizational meeting held on Friday, Jan. 9.
COC Board of Trustees Names Officers for 2026
A 24-point first quarter propelled The Master's University Women's Basketball to a 66-49 win over the visiting Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Eagles in The MacArthur Center.
Strong First Quarter Lifts Lady Mustangs Over Eagles
The College of the Canyons football program is hosting its fourth annual Super Saturday Skills & Drills Clinic on Saturday, Feb. 7, as part of the annual 'Big Game' weekend.
Feb. 7: Canyons Football Hosting Fourth Annual ‘Super Saturday’ Skills, Drills Clinic
The city of Santa Clarita is hosting its next Rain Barrel Purchase Program and class beginning Saturday, Feb. 21, from 9 to 11 a.m., at Newhall Community Center located at 22421 Market St., Newhall, CA.
Feb. 21: Rain Barrel Class, Purchase Program Available
Cub Scouts Pack 48 is hosting a free Super Mario Bros. Community Movie Night for all community youth and families, 5-7 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 11.
Jan. 11: Cub Scouts Pack to Host Super Mario Bros. Community Movie Night
Finally Family Homes will hold a grand opening and ribbon cutting for its Oasis Resource Center 4:30-5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 23120 Lyons Ave., Newhall, CA 91321.
Jan. 27: Finally Family Homes Oasis Resource Center Grand Opening, Ribbon Cutting
The city of Santa Clarita invites the community to come together in reflection, service and unity at the fifth annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Unity Walk on Monday, Jan. 19, at 9 a.m. at Central Park, 27150 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91350.
Jan. 19: Building Community at Fifth Annual MLK, Jr. Day Unity Walk
The Santa Clarita City Council will meet in open session on Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 6 p.m. at Santa Clarita City Hall, where the council will consider establishing prima facie speed limits for 208 roadway segments included in the Traffic and Engineering Survey Study.
Jan. 13: City Council to Consider Speed Limits for 208  Road Segments
The Child & Family Center Adopt-a-Family program brought the warmth and joy of the recent holiday season to 160 families and 185 teens.
Child & Family Adopt-a-Family Program Served 160 Families During Holidays
Armed with beakers, test tubes and multi-parameter water quality meters and velocimeters, a team of California State University, Northridge geography and environmental studies students, working alongside students from Cal State Long Beach, have spent the past few weeks scouring the burn areas of the Palisades, Eaton and Lake Hughes fires looking for natural rivers, streams, creeks and watersheds.
CSUN Students’ Groundwork for National Database on Water Quality
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has announced the California State Department of Education's literacy moonshot, a five-year plan to close the third-grade literacy gap.
California Dept. of Education Announces Literacy Moonshot
California Health and Human Services leaders champion vaccination as a cornerstone of public health.
CDPH, DHCS. DMHC Issue Statement on Vaccine Access, Availability
Boys and girls Foothill League soccer is mostly-back from holiday schedule, and some league matches have occurred. But these have resulted in only minor changes in the standings. Top teams won’t be clashing anytime soon, but some of the lower-downs will be slugging it out this week.
Foothill League Soccer: Picking Up Speed
1857 - Estimated 8.0 earthquake, SoCal's most recent "Big One," decimates Fort Tejon [story]
Tejon quake map
The annual Bridge to Home Soup for the Soul Gala fundraiser is "Off to the Races" on Saturday, Feb. 21.
Feb. 21: Bridge to Home Soup for the Soul is ‘Off to the Races’
The five deputies assigned to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station Crime Impact Team (CIT) were recently recognized within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for exceptional work throughout 2025.
SCV Sheriff’s Station Crime Impact Team Recognized
A California lawmaker started the new year by introducing three bills intended to provide more protections for journalists and ensure their access to the courtroom.
Proposed California Legislation Would Add Protections for News Media
The Docent Training Program at Placerita Canyon Nature Center welcomes new docents to attend a 12-week training program beginning Tuesday, Jan. 13.
Jan. 13: New Docent Program Begins at Placerita Canyon Nature Center
Join the city of Santa Clarita for the Newhall Community Center's 20th Anniversary Celebration, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, Jan 24.
Jan. 24: Newhall Community Center’s 20th Anniversary Celebration
All public, private and homeschooled students in grades TK–12 within the city of Santa Clarita are invited to submit original visual artwork for the Art Hop Youth Art Contest by Saturday, Feb. 21.
Feb 21: Entry Deadline for Art Hop Youth Art Contest Submissions
SCVNews.com