Ventura Gadfly Won’t Be Charged in Car Incident

Ventura County prosecutors said Wednesday that they will not file charges against a Ventura gadfly who allegedly drove his car at two process servers in the Ojai area.

There is not enough evidence to bring Carroll Dean Williams, 48, to trial for the May 19 incident involving his car and two private process servers, Deputy Dist. Atty. Greg Totten said.

Sheriff’s officials reported that Williams grazed Wendy Weeks with his red Volvo and then drove at Richard Hanna. The two were trying to serve Williams with eviction papers at the Church of Christ in Ojai, where he had been holding services. Williams then fled the scene, authorities said.

“To prove the assault charges, we really need to prove that he deliberately tried to hit this woman and then later the man,” Totten said. “There was simply no evidence other than the statements of these people to suggest he did anything deliberately.”

Totten said Williams pulled away from the curb at a “very slight speed,” grazing Weeks’ hip, made a U-turn and drove back down the street toward where Hanna was standing.

“Mr. Williams denies either accidentally or intentionally trying to hit them,” Totten said.

Williams could not be reached for comment.

Hanna and Weeks maintain that Williams tried to hit them, said their employer, Lawrence I. Hazel, president of Western Protective Enterprises, a Ventura private investigations firm.

“It’s an our-word-against-his type of thing,” Hazel said.

“But the final decision is up to the district attorney. We will respect that position and, of course, we will accept that decision.”