Reluctant Witness : Car-Theft Victim Jailed for Refusing to Testify

A Canoga Park roofer spent Thursday night in jail for refusing to show up to testify at a preliminary hearing for two men accused of stealing his car, apparently because he “just didn’t feel like being bothered,” a prosecutor said.

Leonard Chattle, 29, was released Friday afternoon after spending about 30 minutes on the witness stand in San Fernando Municipal Court.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Sue G. Lasicka said she took the unusual step of requesting Chattle’s arrest because he ignored several subpoenas and indicated, even when threatened with a night in jail, that he would not show up Friday.

“When somebody’s been victimized by having their car stolen, you hate to add to their aggravation by putting them in jail,” Lasicka said. “But I lay the responsibility to the victim.

“He just didn’t feel like being bothered. . . . He said he’d been working hard lately and he could use the rest.”

Chattle testified Friday that he purchased the car, a white 1974 Mercedes-Benz, for $1,000, less than a week before it was stolen.

Lasicka said that Chattle’s testimony was needed in the case against Braderick Martin and Gregory Williams, 27-year-old Pacoima residents accused of grand theft and possession of stolen property in the theft of the Mercedes.

Chattle reported the car stolen from his home near Roscoe Boulevard and Variel Avenue on June 16, Lasicka said. Martin and Williams were arrested later that day on a North Hollywood street, and the car was recovered, police said.

Hearing Postponed

A preliminary hearing was set for June 29, but Chattle ignored a subpoena to show up, Lasicka said, forcing the prosecutor to postpone the hearing until July 2. When Chattle again failed to appear, the judge rescheduled the hearing for Thursday and issued a warrant for Chattle’s arrest, but suspended it.

When Chattle did not appear Thursday, the warrant was activated and he was taken into court.

Lasicka said she asked Chattle: “Please, just answer me and say you’ll show up to testify or I’m going to have to make you spend the night in jail,” but he refused.

The law authorizes judges to order the arrest of a witness who fails to appear at a preliminary hearing.

After testimony by Chattle and several police officers, Judge Paul I. Metzler ordered Williams tried Sept. 4 on one count each of grand theft of an automobile and receiving stolen property. Metzler ruled there was insufficient evidence to hold Martin.