Killer of Pumpkin Thief Faces 3rd Trial

A Buena Park man will be tried a third time on murder charges in the 1999 shooting death of a teenager he said stole Halloween decorations from his front porch, prosecutors said Friday.

Peter Solomona, who remains free on $250,000 bail, left the courtroom teary-eyed after Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard Toohey set an April 29 trial date.

“It’s a disappointment that we have to go through this again,” said Solomona’s attorney, Milton Grimes. “It was an unfortunate accident. I don’t think Mr. Solomona is a criminal, and he doesn’t belong in prison.”

Prosecutors allege that Solomona fired a .357 magnum revolver at Brandon Ketsdever, striking the 17-year-old in the head, after accusing him of stealing a plastic pumpkin from his yard. At trial, Solomona insisted that the gun went off accidentally after he banged his arm against the door of Ketsdever’s car.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Carolyn Carlisle-Raines said Solomona put the pistol to the boy’s head and said he would “blow his brains out,” then cocked the gun before it discharged.

In December 2000, Solomona was convicted of second-degree murder but acquitted of personally using a firearm. A judge overturned the conviction, saying the jury received incorrect instructions.

In a second trial earlier this month, jurors deliberated four days before announcing they could not agree on a verdict. Toohey declared a mistrial.

Brandon’s mother, Jessie Ketsdever, said Friday that sitting through a retrial will be hard, but that “it can’t be as difficult as what my son went through. Whatever it takes to get justice.”

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.