Slaying Suspect Called ‘Typical Teen-Ager’

Timothy Edward Chrestman, a 19-year-old Port Hueneme man suspected of killing a Simi Valley man at a remote campground, was described by neighbors and a school official Monday as a “typical teen-ager” who ran track at Hueneme High School and earned above average grades.

Chrestman was arrested as he walked near Zuma Beach on Sunday afternoon, eight hours after Andy Lee Anderson’s body was discovered in Rose Valley north of Ojai.

Investigators believe Anderson, 24, was killed with a shotgun blast to the chest about noon Friday as he stood next to his truck preparing to drive home from his half-day fishing trip.

“It was very cold-blooded,” said sheriff’s Lt. Craig Husband, who heads the major crimes unit.

Anderson’s dog was also killed with a shotgun blast.

Chrestman had been camping in the same area alone since midweek. Evidence found in Anderson’s truck, which was abandoned in West Hollywood, led to identification of Chrestman as a suspect, deputies said. A shotgun and a rifle were recovered from the truck.

Investigators would not comment on a possible motive for the killing.

Chrestman, who is being held in County Jail, is scheduled to appear in Ventura County Municipal Court for an arraignment today. He was arrested once before, on suspicion of selling marijuana in Port Hueneme, but the charges against him were dropped.

Several neighbors near Chrestman’s parents’ home in Port Hueneme said they were stunned by his arrest. As a youngster, they said, Chrestman played street hockey and football with other kids on the block.

“His parents are strict,” said one neighbor, who declined to give her name. “They’ve taken very good care of him.”

Larry Brown, an assistant principal at Hueneme High School, said: “He was pretty much a typical teen-ager. He might ditch school here or there, get caught and have to be dealt with.”