DANA POINT : Friend Allegedly Gave Gun to Youth

The gun allegedly used by 16-year-old Christian Steffens in a fatal shooting last September at Dana Point Strand came from a young friend of Steffens, according to testimony Wednesday in Juvenile Court in Orange.

Matt Williams, a 21-year-old neighbor of Steffens, testified that he saw a young man named Steve Mayberry give a handgun to Steffens on the night of Sept. 6, two days before the fatal shooting of Robert Elliott, 18. Williams said Mayberry has since moved out of state.

“He (Steffens) gave me the impression he wanted it (the gun) for protection,” Williams testified. “He had fear for his family and his life.”

Steffens is accused of shooting Elliott to death following an argument at a popular surfers’ beach on the afternoon of Sept. 8.

Steffens’ lawyer contends that the teen-ager acted in self-defense--that he had been terrified by Elliott and some of Elliott’s friends who had allegedly threatened Steffens.

The prosecution, however, alleges that Steffens was an “aggressor” who had previously punched Elliott in the face and broken Elliott’s truck window with a baseball bat. The prosecution also contends that Steffens had bragged to high school friends about being a gang member and having weapons, including a shotgun.

The conflicting views of Steffens have emerged during a lengthy hearing in Juvenile Court to decide whether he should be tried as an adult or as a juvenile. The sentence, if he were convicted as a juvenile, would be considerably less than if convicted as an adult.

The hearing, which began last month, resumed Wednesday before Judge Robert B. Hutson, and more testimony is scheduled in court today.

During Wednesday’s testimony, Williams said he saw Steffens on Sept. 6 at Mayberry’s apartment in the Dana Point area. Williams said Steffens was visibly frightened: “He was shaking. . . . He was shivering.”

Steffens said he feared for his life because some young men had threatened him, Williams testified.

Williams also testified that on Sept. 7 he gave Steffens a ride to Dana Hills High School. Steffens was visibly frightened that day and carried the gun to school with him, Williams said.

In other testimony, Deputy Dist. Atty. Bernadette Cemore cross-examined Steffens’ mother, Cynthia Steffens, who had testified last month in her son’s defense, saying that he was of good character and that he had been terrified for years by teen-agers who had threatened him.

Cemore, in her questioning, asked the mother if she knew that her son had bragged to classmates about belonging to gangs in Oakland and San Diego and about possessing weapons. Cynthia Steffens said she knew of no such thing. “This is so crazy,” she said. “I can’t believe it.”

But in response to other questions from the prosecutor, Cynthia Steffens acknowledged that her son had been suspended from high school five times in two years. She said each of the suspensions had been for one day and mainly were for being late to class.

But Cemore said she had information from school officials that Steffens had shown “defiance of authority.”

Cemore also contended in her questions to Cynthia Steffens that her son had boasted to friends about being violent and belonging to gangs.

After more testimony today and Friday, Judge Hutson will decide whether Steffens should be tried as a juvenile. There is no jury in hearings of this nature.