Man Draws 2-Year Term for Slaying Stepdaughter’s Boyfriend

A Woodland Hills man who shot to death his stepdaughter’s boyfriend after mistaking him for a burglar was sentenced to two years in prison Wednesday.

The sentence was handed down by Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Alan B. Haber, despite an impassioned plea for the maximum six-year sentence from the dead boy’s mother, who tearfully showed the judge five framed pictures of her son.

Susana Gerbasoni, the mother of Dane Kimball, 18, sobbed as she told Haber that her son was not threatening anyone when Peter Atanasov shot him near the Atanasov home June 24, 1986.

“He was hiding in a bush like a scared rabbit,” Gerbasoni said during the sentencing hearing. She said Atanasov showed a “complete disregard for life,” accusing him of “hunting down” her son.

A jury found Atanasov guilty of involuntary manslaughter Aug. 11, after rejecting more serious charges of second-degree murder or voluntary manslaughter.

The shooting occurred after Atanasov and his wife, Bonita, arrived home about dusk and saw someone with a flashlight in their Canoga Avenue home. Atanasov, 37, grabbed a .38-caliber revolver from his truck and chased the intruder through his yard and across the street while firing four shots.

The next morning a jogger found the body of Kimball, who had been shot in the head, in bushes across the street from Atanasov’s home. He was wearing Atanasov’s jacket, and in his pocket was a ring belonging to Atanasov’s wife.

According to trial testimony there were bad feelings between Atanasov and Kimball, who had dated Atanasov’s 16-year-old stepdaughter. The father testified that he had banned the youth from the house after catching him “coming out of my bedroom with a bundle of my keys.”

Prosecution witnesses had testified earlier that Atanasov had threatened to kill Kimball unless he stopped seeing the girl. During the sentencing, Kimball’s former supervisor testified that Atanasov threatened to kill Kimball in 1986.

Atanasov’s attorney, Mitchell Egers, sought probation for his client, who remained silent and unemotional during the sentencing. Egers argued that Atanasov had a spotless record and that he never intended to shoot anyone. Atanasov was firing his gun to scare the burglar, and did not know the man he was chasing was Kimball, Egers said.

In sentencing Atanasov to two years in prison, Haber went along with the recommendation of Deputy Dist. Atty. Larry Diamond.

“I don’t believe the defendant knew it was the victim,” said Haber. “Nor do I believe the defendant intended to kill anyone.”

The judge said he understood why Atanasov went after the burglar, but what bothered him was that Atanasov fired his gun four times when it was not a case of self-defense.

Egers said Atanasov will appeal the jury verdict on grounds that the shooting was a justifiable homicide. Atanasov will be free on a $2,500 bond pending the outcome of the appeal.