Captor of Rapist Luster Seeks Share of $1 Million

Duane “Dog” Chapman, the bounty hunter who captured fugitive rapist Andrew Luster, sought a portion of Luster’s $1-million cash bail Monday even as officials in Mexico said he was in danger of being labeled a fugitive himself.

In Ventura, Chapman asked a Ventura County judge to award him at least some of the money to cover the costs he incurred in nabbing Luster.

But in Mexico, a judge and a prosecutor said Chapman had put himself in jeopardy by failing to appear for a court hearing in Puerto Vallarta, where he and two associates still face charges of violating Mexican law in detaining Luster.

“It’s a little ironic, no?” asked Puerto Vallarta Dist. Atty. Marco Roberto Juarez. “They chase fugitives and then they become fugitives. With this, we’ve corroborated that these people have not demonstrated any respect for the laws.”

Chapman, however, said he did not need to appear in court in Mexico, and that his attorneys, who could not be reached for comment, were handling the proceedings for him.

Before stepping into a black limousine at the courthouse in Ventura, Chapman said he intends to return to his home in Hawaii to spend time with his children and concentrate on collecting $320,000 in fees and costs associated with Luster’s mid-June capture.

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Vying for the Funds

Chapman is not the only one after the bail money, which Luster, 39, a great-grandson of cosmetics legend Max Factor, forfeited when he bolted during his Ventura County trial six months ago. Luster was convicted in absentia of drugging and raping three women and is now serving a 124-year state prison sentence.

Two of Luster’s victims want the bail money held in a trust pending upcoming civil trials. County law enforcement officials who spent an estimated $115,000 searching for the rapist want a portion to cover their costs.

And Luster’s mother is standing at the front of the line because she put up at least $435,000 in municipal bonds to secure her son’s release on bail pending trial.

On Monday, six attorneys representing those parties crowded into a Ventura County courtroom to vie for the funds. All of their requests have been put on hold until the court determines who actually posted the bail.

During the hearing, an attorney representing Luster’s mother, Elizabeth, told Superior Court Judge Edward Brodie that her client deposited the money and is the only one entitled to it. If that proves to be the case, the bounty hunter, the victims and the county would have no standing to collect a portion of the funds.

Attorneys for those parties persuaded Brodie to hold off on returning the money until they could determine whether Elizabeth Luster posted the entire bond or only a portion. According to court papers, Elizabeth Luster stated in a June 25 deposition that she deposited $435,000, but was uncertain where the remainder of her son’s bail money came from.

“Here’s the way I see it,” Brodie said. “We need to know who posted the bail.... The next question is, who has standing.”

Attorney Roger Diamond, who represents Luster, argued that Chapman has no right to a percentage of the money.

But Brodie questioned whether the bounty hunter might have a legitimate claim. Under state law, courts can award costs associated with returning a defendant to custody. In Luster’s case, the judge noted, it was the bounty hunter who placed Luster in the hands of Mexican authorities.

“I don’t know whether he is in or out,” the judge said before setting an Aug. 5 hearing.

Chapman, accompanied by his brother and other supporters, said he was encouraged by the judge’s words and felt confident he would prevail in recovering some of his costs.

Regardless of the criminal charges in Mexico, the charismatic bounty hunter was treated like a celebrity in Ventura before and after Monday’s hearing. Prosecutors shook his hand and thanked him for apprehending Luster. A man asked for his autograph.

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TV Appearance

Outside the courthouse, a woman shrieked his name and yelled “You got him!” as Chapman, sporting silver-tipped snakeskin boots and sunglasses, stood before television cameras and spoke confidently of resolving the case in Mexico.

Chapman, his brother, Timothy, and son, Leland, were ordered to stand trial on a charge of depriving Luster’s liberty after grabbing him at a taco stand in Puerto Vallarta. While prosecutors requested that the men be held in jail during trial, the judge allowed their release on bail as long as they stayed within Puerto Vallarta city limits and reported to the court every Monday.

Judge Jose Jesus de Pineda, reached in his office at the Jalisco state penitentiary just outside central Puerto Vallarta, said Monday that if Chapman did not appear in court, he would “proceed with what the law tells us must be done.”

“It’s going to have its consequences, that’s evident, [his] attorneys know. They know the law,” Pineda said.

The judge declined to elaborate on what Jalisco state law would prescribe as action for their absence, but prosecutors said bail would be forfeited and an order for the arrest of Chapman’s group would be issued if they returned to Mexico. Prosecutor Juarez said the state might also request extradition for Chapman.

When Chapman spoke to reporters at a Puerto Vallarta resort after Pineda ruled he should stand trial, the bounty hunter praised the Mexican legal system and said he had not been abused or mistreated.

He said he was looking forward to returning to Mexico after his trial and sharing his “expertise” with Mexican law enforcement authorities. Chapman also praised the judge, saying he was trusting Pineda would be fair.

But Beth Smith, Chapman’s longtime business partner and companion, said Monday that the men were mistreated and would not be returning to Mexico.

“It’s a pretty nothing case,” she said. “In reality, [the judge] is glad they’re gone. Every attorney is telling him not to go back under any circumstances. They can’t touch you here.”

Smith said the men suffered “inhumane treatment” while being shuffled through the Mexican legal system. Chapman spent four nights in jail and endured extortion attempts from the very officers who had initially helped him catch Luster, she said.

She said Chapman was told to have his family send him canned goods and a can opener because the jails are too poor to feed inmates.

Leland Chapman flew to Hawaii Monday to reunite with his wife and two sons, Smith said. “It’s amazing that they lived through that [jail] experience and survived to tell about it,” she said.