VAN NUYS : No Jail Term in Shooting Death of Unruly Tenant
A 70-year-old Van Nuys landlord who admitted shooting to death an unruly tenant was set free Friday by a judge who said that the man could have believed his life was in danger.
Paul Davis, manager of a 15-unit complex, could have been imprisoned for nine years for his conviction by a jury last month in the April 7, 1992, death of 66-year-old Andree Calleux. Davis testified that Calleux had threatened to kill him the day before the shooting after a dispute over unpaid rent. She also had disrupted other tenants, Davis said.
Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Darlene Schempp said she decided to set Davis free because of evidence that Calleux could have been a threat to his life. She also cited his age and lack of a criminal record. Schempp ordered Davis to serve 300 hours of community service, pay fines of about $1,000 and placed him on probation for three years.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
