Murder trial starts in case of Calif. woman mauled by dogs

LOS ANGELES - The trial began Wednesday for the Los Angeles man accused of murder in the death of Pamela Devitt, 63, who was mauled to death by four pit bulls.

Devitt was walking alone near Alex Jackson's home in May 2013 when she was attacked, suffering between 150 and 200 puncture wounds.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the case against Jackson, 31, hinges on whether or not ke knew his dogs were dangerous.

Prosecutors allege Jackson is a small-town drug dealer who was warned on several occasions that his dogs were violent.

Jackson's attorney has argued that he had no idea his dogs were capable of such extreme violence.

In addition to murder, Jackson is also on trial for cultivating marijuana, possession for sale of psychedelic mushrooms and assault with a deadly weapon from a separate January 2013 incident in which he's accused of throwing a rock at a horseback rider after his dogs attacked the rider's horse, reports the Los Angeles Times.