In August 2003, they arrested Juan Catalan, Mario's brother, for Puebla's murder. "I mean, if that's not a miracle, I don't know what is. Where and How to Become Billionaire With Just Curtain of Life Fell for what a Feeling Top Five Ranked Characters of Harry Potter, Ethereum The Most Popular Crypto Currency, Oleksandr Zinchenko The Ukrainian Midfielder, 5 Predictions Revealed for 2023 Royal Rumble, What is Solo polyamory?- Important facts explained. Beating the (False) Rap: Life After Netflix's 'Long Shot' Curb Your Enthusiasm: 15 Little Tidbits From Behind The Scenes But when a police supervisor learned the young girls name, he called Pinner. None of you will believe me but I lived in the house across from where the girl was killed that he was blamed for. However, since the tapes were time-stamped and located Juan at the stadium around 9PM and the murder didnt occur until around 10:30, the prosecutor wouldnt budge. "Bingo.Within days, Melnik met with David and the show's producers to go through outtake footage from the filming of the "Car Pool Lane" episode that would air the following spring. 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. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Disclaimer | During the OJ Simpson case very early on I learned that they had used cell tower pings in order to locate OJ on that slow speed chase and that has always stuck in my mind, he told Bartlett. By pure coincidence, comedian Larry David was filming an episode of his hit show. Curtain of Life Fell for what a Feeling Star Irene Cara, Michael Latifi A Multi-talented Iranian-canadian Businessman, The Importance of Leveraging Competitive Intelligence for Your Business, 7 Benefits of Trademark Registration in India, Registering a Company in India- Eligibility and Procedure for Start-Up, Know All About Dramatic Character of Mia Benitez played by Sohvi Rodriguez. Justice for Juan Catalan of "Long Shot" on Netflix - GoFundMe Peps, as Ledesma was called in the gang, wasnt there. The detectives, who were assigned the case, worked through the night and into the next morning tracking down leads. (60 Minutes) In the first of many coincidences surrounding Catalan's case, Puebla had been a star witness in a court case where his brother, Mario Catalan, was a defendant. But after his release from jail, he became a devoted fan. "Who knew that love would one day save his life? 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. When a police officer believes someone may be in danger because of their involvement in a case, Kilcoyne and others said, it is standard procedure to warn the person and offer them protection. For other inquiries, Contact Us. She was even willing to produce the ticket stubs, and Juan was willing to take a lie-detector test, but prosecutors refused. View the profiles of people named Juan Cataln. He was subsequently freed. The Amazing Story Of How - Thought Catalog Every Friday, we send out an email with the scariest horror movies and TV shows streaming that weekend along with creepy news, updates from the horror movie pipeline, and links to the best scary content on the web. You got the wrong person, buddy, Ledesma said. Signing up helps us (not Zuckerberg) stay in direct contact with you and create the best horror website possible. California AG's wife . No. He also remembered that he had been "caught on tape. Why Juan forgives the police who set him up for murder - 9Now said, You're crazy. Juan Catalan had filed a police misconduct suit against the city after spending nearly five months in jail for a crime he did not commit -- a point his lawyer proved after producing outtakes from the television show.Mar 8, 2007. The detectives were told that he was hanging out with another Vineland Boyz member, Mario Catalan. He was spared a death sentence because he and his lawyer, Todd Melnik, were able to prove that at the time the crime was committed Catalan was not at the murder scene but at Chavez-Ravine -- for a May 12, 2003, game between the Dodgers and Braves. Went out the next day and saw the body outline on the floor and circles where the bullet shells were. There are still thousands of innocent people serving time in prison who were wrongfully convicted. They brought him into an interview room in the same North Hollywood station where they had grilled Ledesma nine months before. She is dropping dimes.. Catalan did have a motive for the execution-style killing of 16-year-old Martha Puebla, as she was a witness in his brother's trial for murder. In court, the file was handed to Beth Silverman, a prosecutor proud of never losing a murder conviction. Of the 58,000 seats filled with fans, filming took place right near where Catalan was sitting. "Then I contacted the Dodgers, who guided me to the HBO production "Curb Your Enthusiasm. 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. And his defense attorney Todd Melnick discovered that cameras had been at the baseball ground to film an episode of the comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm called 'The Carpool Lane'. Its a moment in time that still haunts him today. His picture was circled. Right name and its still on. It also stated that at that time, Catalan was working in his fathers machine shop in other to support his family. "Back in 2003, Catalan was arrested for a murder he did not commit. I need to place my client at Dodger Stadium on that night. As the girls talked, gunshots suddenly filled the night air. O_O, "Caybman, you were the only phone pinged when the event occurred. He was the only eyewitness to the crime and helped them to create an identikit picture the only description being a Latino male with facial hair. All About Second Oldest Paper in Texas- Victoria Story of 200 Old Journalism-Newark Advocate, A Complete Biography of German Goalkeeper Bernd Leno. We rewound the tape, and just as Im walking up the aisle in one shot, this guy is sitting right there. Our newsletter keeps our core readers connected. Why are people treating me this way? In the days after the murder in May 2003, he was arrested by cops who pointed a gun to his head after pulling him over in his SUV. Only days before her murder, she had testified against young Mario Catalan involving a gang slaying in which Mario was charged as an accessory. Even though I was looking at a possible death sentence, it felt like I was already halfway there because I was away from my family, he told Bartlett. Even though the interrogation was going nowhere, the case against Ledesma was growing stronger. But [keep a] low-pro[file]. The ruse, as Pinner would later call it in court, was a legal move. However, Todd Melnik, his lawyer organized a Gofundme for Catalan claiming the latter never received any compensation for the movie. Man Cleared by TV Footage Gets $320,000 - ABC News Melnik called it, and the person on the other end answered, "HBO. Copyright 2022 Attorney-FAQ.com | version 5.1.20 (commit d0adbc) Laravel v 8.83.26 | (PHP v8.1.16), Home (current) | By subscribing, you agree to the terms of our Privacy Statement. Ledesma insisted he did not know her. And when he was eighteen, he caught a home-run ball as it sailed into the stands. Case Summary. A phone number was listed in the log. Fortunately, he was able to remember that someone in his section mentioned that the famous actor and comedian Bob Einstein, who plays Marty Funkhouser on Curb your Enthusiasm was in attendance. Its a short doc (40 mins iirc). A native of Maine, he moved to Los Angeles in 2003 to join the Los Angeles Times. L.A. Affairs: My divorce isnt contagious. Three months later, Juan was charged with the murder of 16-year-old Martha Puebla. To watch Out of Left Field in full, and for more on 60 Minutes, head to the, 'Frightening' attack on police before man shot dead in Sydney, Reports indicating Stalin was murdered hidden for decades, Extreme weather to hit nation with fire warnings then snow, WorldPride grand finale: Show of unity for history-making march, By Liz Little 60 Minutes Digital Producer. Her testimony, however, either did nothing to placate Ledesma or he was unable to stop the killing he had ordered. But the new show called Long Shot, tells the tale of how he was able to prove his innocence in court against a feared prosecutor thanks to comedy, Curb Your Enthusiasm. Bio, Best Films, Dating, Parents. ", In the episode, David enlists the services of a prostitute -- not for sex, but as a passenger. Read Also:Why And How Was Jazmine Trotter Murdered? Those is the guy that shot my friends boyfriend was scrawled along the margin, followed by Pueblas signature. Joel Rubin is an assistant editor in Metro, overseeing the criminal justice team. . Comedian Larry David unwittingly saves stranger from death row - 9News Juan Catalan: How Did An LA Dodgers Game Change His Life Drastically? Waco: American Apocalypse Well, she knows you, the detective said. The call was pinged by the cell tower right alongside Dodger Stadium. It wasnt until Juans persistent lawyer was reviewing hours of tapes and spotted Juan in the crowd during the Dodgers game based on outtakes from Larry Davids HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm that the DA was forced to drop the murder charges and award him a settlement of $320,000. Alarmed by the gunfire, Pueblas mother rushed outside. Homicide detectives on the case, Martin Pinner and Jose Rodriguez, were certain Juan Catalan was their killer, and in shocking police interview tapes it becomes clear they werent listening to a thing he had to say. Is Megan Thee Stallion Trans? Detectives are not allowed to strike deals with suspects in exchange for a confession, and they are not allowed to threaten them with bodily harm. When you opt in, not only do you get our curated list of the best horror streaming and stories, you support our work and help us keep the lights on. There was also a bystander who identified Catalan. . Makes you really call into question the quality of their investigation and ability to collect facts and evidence, when this happens. Reports say he still works at his fathers machine shop to support his family. Juan was arrested and charged with a murder he clearly did not commit. To achieve this, the defender went to Sam Fernndez, of the Dodgers legal team, and with the HBO production company that had recorded an episode of a comedy program that was broadcast that day. She argued that there was plenty of time for Juan to leave the stadium and drive the 20 miles to commit the slaying. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Still, authorities continued to blame him as the crime was committed minutes after the LA game ended. Juan had no idea why he had been arrested. Watch Long Shot | Netflix Official Site Join Facebook to connect with Juan Catalan and others you may know. My friend. The Bilingual Lover | Fandango We only haunt the willing. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Martha had earlier testified in a another gang-related murder case and police were convinced that Juan was the killer. Martha Puebla was allegedly gunned down outside her Sun Valley, Calif., home because she had testified in a gang murder case. His relationship to the game is forever altered by the alibi that bought him back his freedom and quite likely saved him from the death penalty. The show then follows how Todd's legal team then were allowed to scour hours of footage taken that night to try and find pictures to prove that Juan was part of the 56,000 crowd. In 2007, he was awarded $320,000 as a settlement in a civil lawsuit against the LAPD.Feb 24, 2021, In 2007, Catalan received a $320,000 settlement from a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles and its police force, and was the subject of a short Netflix documentary, "Long Shot," that examines his ordeal. Cameras flashed. Interrogation, then revenge - Los Angeles Times To drive home his point, Pinner laid down a six-pack -- an array of mug shots that detectives often show to witnesses or victims of crimes. She was a reluctant and unhelpful witness, as she had been with Pinner and Rodriguez the morning of the shooting, telling the prosecutor that she had not seen the shooter. Puebla lay sprawled on her back in the street, legs splayed, eyes still open, her white sweater drenched in blood. The problem came on August 12, 2003, when Juan was arrested by the police, accused of having murdered Martha Puebla, a teenager who testified against her older brother in a murder trial. A federal prosecutor involved in the case said he recalled seeing notes from a meeting at which officials from the L.A. County district attorneys office offered protection to Puebla. 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. With his freedom back, Catalan has also not forgotten the show that helped him secure it. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. Privacy | We hear you like all things creepy we do too. A judge threw out the case, and Catalan was awarded $320,000 in a wrongful-arrest suit. Juan Catalan was later seen in the footage with his daughter returning to their row after getting snacks at the concession stand. "Now here he is standing here. Following the acquittal, the two officers have allegedly reassigned posts within the LAPD but they were not penalized for their conduct. It would be years before the pieces of the case would fully come together, but in those early hours there should have been an obvious question: In trying to solve one murder, had the detectives set into motion another?