Pumpkin-Case Suspect Still Jailed

A Buena Park homeowner remained in jail Saturday despite having his murder conviction overturned last week in the fatal shooting of a boy over a Halloween pumpkin, authorities said.

Orange County Sheriff’s officials said late Saturday they were awaiting a possible application from Peter Solomona’s family to have him freed on $250,000 bail.

A woman who answered the phone at Solomona’s house said the family was “trying to get him out” but declined to comment further.

A jury in December convicted Solomona of second-degree murder for the 1999 shooting of Brandon Ketsdever, 17. Ketsdever was shot in the head with a .357 magnum revolver during a confrontation with Solomona, who believed the boy had stolen his 2 1/2-foot plastic pumpkin.

But Superior Court Judge John J. Ryan on Friday ordered a new trial, blaming himself for failing to explain to jurors the legal issues they needed to consider before coming to a verdict.