Case Summary. Makes you really call into question the quality of their investigation and ability to collect facts and evidence, when this happens. Their four-year old daughter was in the back seat. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. . View our online Press Pack. ago Pinner told Ledesma he knew the gang member had been on his way to Martha Pueblas house to visit her the night Vargas was killed outside her house. Thanks to an assist from the sport and another unusual source -- the HBO comedy series "Curb Your Enthusiasm" -- Catalan was free Monday night to take his seat in Section 327, to watch Game 4 of the American League Division Series presented by Doosan and to reflect on his life's wild plot twists that make even postseason baseball seem simplistic, by comparison. Juan Catalan spent 6 months in jail for the murder of a teenage girl, until his lawyer found unused footage from HBO's 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' that proved Juan had been at a Dodgers game with his daughter 31 minutes before the murder took place, 20 miles away. Copyright 2022 Attorney-FAQ.com | version 5.1.20 (commit d0adbc) Laravel v 8.83.26 | (PHP v8.1.16), Home (current) | Cameras flashed. Great documentary on Netflix about this, they interview Larry David and everything. But Pinner and Rodriguez werent having any of it. In May 2003, Juan Catalan was accused of murdering a 16-year-old girl in Sun Valley, California, a crime he has always claimed he never committed because he was at a Los Angeles Dodgers game with . Right name and its still on. Covarrubias persuaded other Vineland members to help. 16-year-old Martha Puebla was shot dead outside her home in San Fernando Valley, Calif. on May 12, 2003, after testifying in a case concerning Vineland Boys gang member Jose Ledesma and co-defendant Mario Catalan. Two days later, Pinner and Rodriguez caught a break. The prosecution argued that Catalan had enough time to drive home and commit the murder, so Melnik took a strategy from arguably the famous criminal case of all to defend his client. Martha Puebla was allegedly gunned down outside her Sun Valley, Calif., home because she had testified in a gang murder case. Scanning through the three hours of videotape from the game, Melnik was able to pinpoint where Catalan and his daughter were sitting, but the video resolution wasnt clear enough to definitively show in a court of law. A fourth Vineland Boyz member who participated is thought to have fled to Mexico and is being sought, a federal prosecutor said. The Judge overseeing this case is ELAINE H PALMER. He was later awarded a $320,000 settlement for police misconduct, false imprisonment, and defamation in 2007. Juan Catalan was later seen in the footage with his daughter returning to their row after getting snacks at the concession stand. With everything against him, and with the prosecutor, Beth Silverman, who wanted the death penalty to be applied, the defense lawyer, Todd Melnik managed to corroborate that Juan Cataln had sat in one of the 27,548 seats occupied that night in Dodger Stadium, where the home team fell 11-4 to the Atlanta Braves. Juan Catalan is the name of the protagonist of the documentary Long Shot, elaborate production by Netflix, which tells the story of how he escaped the death penalty for having attended a Los Angeles Dodgers game, on 12 May 2003. Returning to the scene of Pueblas murder, Bartlett reveals that she was shot on the street while talking to her friend, who panicked before running away. Twenty miles away, Marios brother Juan was at Dodger Stadium with his six-year old daughter, watching his beloved Dodgers play the Atlanta Braves. I'm very happy Juan Catalan had a dedicated lawyer. Does Opening A Savings Account Affect Credit Score, Who Is Ella Rae Peck? Pinner, Rodriguez and the district attorneys office declined to comment for this article. and a detective with the LAPDs Robbery-Homicide Division. Juan Catalan was riding to work at his father's shop, like any other day. Catalan is 42 years old and was born in 1990s, in Year Juan's case didn't come without further hurdles, but he was able to walk free in the end. In the end, Juan Cataln was released, received 320 thousand dollars in compensation and those who accused him of cheating were dismissed. Melnik called it, and the person on the other end answered, "HBO. Went out the next day and saw the body outline on the floor and circles where the bullet shells were. Aside from that he allegedly had no criminal records. Catalan was eventually cleared by an unusual method, ABC News reported. A TV show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, contains raw footage that was instrumental in proving his innocence. Rodriguez was transferred to an auto theft detail and is currently assigned to a vice unit. Like why? A talented young street-food cook pushes herself to the limit after accepting an invitation to train under an infamous and ruthless chef. And then there was another shot where he was standing up. But despite providing his ticket stubs, police weren't convinced of his innoncence and proceeded with proseucting him, which if he had been convicted, could have seen him face the death penalty. June 14, 2022 . Also worth pointing out the lengths Juan's attorney went to to find this footage is pretty amazing. Previously we told you about theBritish family with seven children who lost their dad to suicide who are the subject of a heartbreaking new Netflix documentary. With that, the man pulled a 9-millimeter handgun from his sweat shirt pocket and started shooting. Whatever Happened To Juan Catalan After His Exoneration. You got the wrong person, buddy, Ledesma said. He told Catalan that the gun had been found and, then, hoping that the two suspects would say something to incriminate themselves, put them in a holding cell together at the Van Nuys jail. Of the 58,000 seats filled with fans, filming took place right near where Catalan was sitting. Following the acquittal, the two officers have allegedly reassigned posts within the LAPD but they were not penalized for their conduct. To the gang, Puebla was a snitch and needed to be dealt with. With that information, his lawyer was able to ask the actor and shows producers permission to go through the outtake footage from the filming of the Car Pool Lane episode of the show. He repeatedly professed his innocence, and asked to take a polygraph test, a request that the police denied (note: polygraph tests aren't admissible in court). Juan Catalan sat in jail for five months awaiting trial until his lawyer turned up video footage showing Catalan was at a Dodgers game at the time of the shooting. December 15, 2021. From that small clue, Melnik got the help of the Dodgers' media relations department to find the production company that filmed at Dodger Stadium that day. According to ABC News, Catalan is now a "devoted fan" of the acclaimed comedy series. Sam Kiszkas Age and Height Is He Still Dating Joy Powell. On the night of May 12, 2003, 16-year-old Martha Puebla was shot to death outside her home in Sun Valley, CA. Reports say he still works at his fathers machine shop to support his family. Sure enough, there was a shot of Catalan and his daughter returning to their row after getting some snacks at the concession stand. By pure coincidence, comedian Larry David was filming an episode of his hit show. But when a police supervisor learned the young girls name, he called Pinner. This case was filed in Harris County District Courts, Harris County District Courts located in Harris, Texas. Juan filed a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles for police misconduct and was awarded $320,000 for false imprisonment. Why And How Was Jazmine Trotter Murdered? Juan Catalan had always denied murdering 16-year-old Martha Puebla but had to prove he had spent the night she died at a baseball game. What Caused, Can Botox Help You in Looking Young? Police response when the case was dismissed: crickets. Weve created a community powered by horror fans like you and we need you in it. In the first of many coincidences surrounding Catalans case, Puebla had been a star witness in a court case where his brother, Mario Catalan, was a defendant. 2010 The Thought & Expression Company, LLC. He pushed three six-packs in front of him. TIL Juan Catalan Spent nearly 6 months in jail for the murder of a teenage girl until his lawyer found unused footage from HBO's 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' that proved he . The 24-year-old machinist was sent to jail to await trial for capital murder. Nothing worked. That's poison in our bodies that, you know, it doesn't hurt the person you hate, it hurts yourself, and it eats away at your soul," he said during an interview on "60 Minutes Australia" (posted on YouTube). They prosecutor they had assigned to the case had never lost. But being arrested for murder months after the slayingand being threatened with either dying in jail or via capital punishmentwas a living nightmare for a man who insisted he was at Dodger Stadium watching his favorite sports team when the murder happened. Those is the guy that shot my friends boyfriend was scrawled along the margin, followed by Pueblas signature. Nice and short and sweet and compelling. Police swarmed the area, roping it off with yellow tape. He begged the girl for help and then died, his head slumped against the steering wheel. In several shots, Juan Catalan is seen in the stands eating a hot dog or watching the game with his 6-year-old daughter. The United States justice system is not perfect. After a few minutes, she approached the car, where she found Vargas body riddled with bullets. It was an extraordinary denial of justice, but the police were convinced Juan was . Other LAPD detectives searched the car Ledesma and Catalan had driven to Mexico. California AG's wife . ", "I went through about 20 minutes of tape, and I was beginning to get disheartened because I didn't see Juan in any of the tapes," remembered Melnick. Lets find out more about him. He sued the city of Los Angeles and was compensated with $320,000 due to the mismanagement of the detectives in charge of the case. Theres like, in there, its just like, you know, thats supposed to rehabilitate a person? Based on bad information from sources, the detectives pinned the slaying on Juan Catalan -- Mario Catalans brother. Juan Catalan: How Did An LA Dodgers Game Change His Life Drastically? Martha had earlier testified in a another gang-related murder case and police were convinced that Juan was the killer. It also makes me value using a credit card for most purchases which are all time stamped and traced. The events leading to Martha Pueblas slaying began five months earlier outside her bedroom window. Michael Kremko: Bio, Best Works, Where Is He Now? According to reports, he had been arrested as a teenager for breaking into cars. Its a short doc (40 mins iirc). The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Joel Rubin is an assistant editor in Metro, overseeing the criminal justice team. That night detectives searched his familys home. Juan Catalan was put on death row and spent nearly 6 months in jail for the murder of a teenage girl, until his lawyer found unused footage from HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" that proved he'd been at a Dodger's game with his 6 year old daughter, on the night of the murder. Caspar Zafer: What Are The Fascinating Facts To Know About The Originals Actor? My God! When he was very young, his uncle took him to Dodger Stadium to see the legendary Mexican pitcher Fernando Valenzuela pitch a game. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, A new Netflix documentary is to tell the story of Juan Catalan, a man falsely accused of killing a 16-year-old girl, On the night of the murder, Juan had gone to watch baseball at Dodgers' Stadium in Los Angeles, His legal team were able to prove he wasn't at the scene of the murder thanks to footage shot for the show Curb Your Enthusiasm, Juan and his defence lawyer Todd Melnik in 2004, holding the proof that Juan wasn't involved in the murder, Juan's story has now been made into a Netflix documentary. A year later, gang member Raul Robledo received a life term for Martha's murder. Stay on your toes, homie. When you hear a grown man, you know, cry for help, and youre like, helpless, its a feeling like, man, just of completeno hope. In addition to his flies and his genes, Juan had passions and interests that he carried with his proven sobriety. We also told you how Netflix is also making a documentary about the disapperance of Madeleine McCann. A loyal follower of the Los Angeles Dodgers, he knew that his teams closer in that long-ago 2003 season, Canadian Eric Gagne, hardly missed the diamond, but on the night of May 12, the pitcher was a disaster and life of a man of Hispanic origin would change radically. Juan Catalan was put on death row and spent nearly 6 months in jail for the murder of a teenage girl, until his lawyer found .