Chrestman Recounts Tale of Kidnaping by Killers

In testimony marked by sarcasm and acrimonious exchanges with the prosecutor, a Port Hueneme man denied Thursday that he murdered a Simi Valley fisherman in the mountains near Ojai and insisted he was kidnaped by the real killer.

Timothy E. Chrestman said the kidnaper forced him to drive the dead man’s truck to Hollywood, where he was able to ditch the vehicle and flee on foot.

Testifying for a second day in his jury trial, Chrestman at times grew impatient when he was challenged about his bizarre tale of the murder of Andy Anderson, his own kidnaping and his attempt to walk home from Hollywood to Port Hueneme.

Chrestman said he spent 30 hours trying to get home, walking as far as Zuma Beach before he called his father and asked to be picked up. During that odyssey, Chrestman testified, he stayed a short time with some hippies at Venice Beach, and was robbed of his shoes, watch and hat by a vagrant somewhere between Santa Monica and Malibu.

As Chrestman told his story, Deputy Dist. Atty. Bob Calvert was openly incredulous. That attitude led to testy exchanges between the two men, prompting defense attorney Steve Pell to repeatedly object that the prosecutor was arguing with Chrestman.

“If you’d listen to what I say and kind of try to figure it out, it would make sense,” Chrestman, 20, told Calvert.

Chrestman faces murder, robbery and other charges in the March 4 shotgun slaying of Anderson, 24. The prosecution contends Chrestman killed Anderson and his dog in Middle Lion’s Campground so he could steal Anderson’s truck.

Chrestman has been in custody since two days after the murder. He at first told sheriff’s detectives that two Latino gang members, one named Angel or Angelo, killed Anderson and that one of them forced him to drive Anderson’s truck to Hollywood.

At the end of the interrogation by detectives, Chrestman said he killed Anderson but that it was an accident. At trial he returned to the kidnaping story.

Chrestman testified he had been camping for two days when Anderson arrived and asked about a good fishing spot. Soon the two men were fishing together, Chrestman testified, and Anderson was shot when he returned to his truck to get different bait.

Chrestman said when he went to investigate the gunshot blast, he discovered one gang member holding a shotgun and a second man holding a .22-caliber pistol.

Both weapons were his, Chrestman acknowledged.

The defendant testified that while the man named Angel or Angelo held the shotgun on him, he was ordered to hide Anderson’s body and cover it with tree branches. Chrestman said the other man shot Anderson’s dog because it was making too much noise, and he ordered Chrestman to hide that body as well.

The man who shot the dog then drove away in the car the two men had arrived in, and the second man ordered Chrestman to pack up his camping gear, put it in the truck and drive the two of them to Hollywood, the defendant testified.

Chrestman said the killer could not drive himself because he was drunk.

Calvert and the defendant often showed disdain for each other during the two hours of cross-examination. When Chrestman complained that police did not believe the kidnaping story and made no effort to find the real killers, Calvert responded, “I feel so sorry for you, Mr. Chrestman.”

“Thank you,” Chrestman replied.

On his trek home, the defendant said, whenever he tried to phone his parents, he would see either the killers or their car and run away frightened.

When pressed by Calvert on why he never stopped at a gas station or grocery store to find a phone during his walk home, Chrestman replied that he did not see one because he was looking down at his blistered and sore feet.

When the prosecutor asked him why he walked another five hours after being robbed of his shoes instead of calling home, Chrestman replied that by then the blisters had popped.

Chrestman’s testimony will resume Monday.