Dana Point : Joeri DeBeer Faces Probation Violation

An 18-year-old man who was convicted of killing his guardian and then freed on probation was rearrested last week for contacting his girlfriend, who had testified against him.

Joeri DeBeer was arrested in Contra Costa County last Thursday for violating a judge’s order not to contact Avona Matthews.

In June, DeBeer was convicted of manslaughter in the death of Phillip A. Parsons of Dana Point. DeBeer claimed that Parsons had sexually molested him numerous times over the four years they lived together and that Parsons had tried to molest him again just before the slaying.

Superior Court Judge Robert R. Fitzgerald freed DeBeer on probation after jurors in the case took the unusual step of appearing at his sentencing to plead for leniency.

With the court’s approval, DeBeer now lives with a family that had taken an interest in him.

As a condition of probation, Fitzgerald ordered DeBeer not to contact Matthews, who was a key witness against him at his trial.

DeBeer’s attorney, Gary L. Proctor, said that Matthews wrote DeBeer letters and tried to see him and that DeBeer still has strong feelings for her.

“He screwed up by contacting her, but we’re going to try to get the court to see the big picture here,” Proctor said. “He’s had a hell of an adjustment to make, and this girl provided the only stable relationship he could count on for a long time.”

DeBeer was released on his own recognizance shortly after his arrest. The county probation office has asked that he be given a 90-day sentence to teach him to take his probation more seriously.

A Sept. 15 hearing date has been set.