They recovered a handgun that would eventually be matched to Vargas death and another killing that had happened the same week. 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. 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 . One of them got out of the car, walked up to the girl and killed her. At one point he asked Rodriguez for a photo of the girl to show Ledesma. Last year, in a federal plea deal to avoid the death penalty, Ledesma, Covarrubias and the gang member thought to be the gunman admitted to taking part in killing Puebla. And he produced the ticket stubs to prove it. My God! June 14, 2022 . Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Hidden illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, Calmes: Heres what we should do about Marjorie Taylor Greene, Randall Emmett, Ambyr Childers settle domestic violence restraining order dispute. [Letting them review the tapes] sounded very cool because my life is so lacking in anything interesting.It did seem like kind of a lame story, but I told the lawyer, Go ahead, go crazy. Why is Win Harrison Wilson (Son of Russell Wilson) in Spotlight? Shes dead!. Shortly before 2 a.m. on Nov. 27, 2002, a girlfriend of Pueblas pulled up outside her house. He pushed three six-packs in front of him. She was even willing to produce the ticket stubs, and Juan was willing to take a lie-detector test, but prosecutors refused. We went through, probably, the first five tapes and there was no Juan on it, said Melnik. And, of course, there was the body. "Back in 2003, Catalan was arrested for a murder he did not commit. Upon his arrest, questions about the then-24-year-old past were asked. 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. With his freedom back, Catalan has also not forgotten the show that helped him secure it. . The next morning, after hearing that the police had been at his house, Ledesma crossed the border with Catalan and checked into a motel in Tijuana. 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. Ana Wolfermann: What Are The Interesting Facts About The Actress? Pinner remains a homicide detective in North Hollywood. On it, Ledesmas photo was circled, and the initials M.P. were written below it. In the end, the trace of a call proved the Mexican right. Just watched it based on this referral. The documentary shows how from the moment, he was arrested, Juan protested his innocence as on the night of the murder, he took his daughter to Dodgers' Stadium to watch a baseball game between the LA Dodgers and Atlanta Braves. Though Catalan could produce ticket stubs and offered to take a lie-detector test, real proof that he was in attendance was unavailable. View the profiles of people named Juan Catalan. LOS ANGELES, March 8, 2007 -- A man cleared of murder charges by outtakes from an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" will receive $320,000 in the settlement of a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles and its police force. NEW YORK -- Here he was among the multitudes that had assembled in Yankee Stadium on this wet October night. Taking into account traffic congestion, the judge accepted thered be no way Juan could have been at the crime scene at the time of the murder. 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. 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. 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. But Pinner and Rodriguez werent having any of it. Signing up helps us (not Zuckerberg) stay in direct contact with you and create the best horror website possible. Following his exoneration, Juan Catalan received a $320,000 settlement from a lawsuit he filed against the City of Los Angeles and the Police force. Catalan was eventually cleared by an unusual method, ABC News reported. After early interviews, suspicion fell quickly on Jose Ledesma, a member of the Vineland Boyz -- a notorious, violent gang that controlled much of the drug sales on the streets of Sun Valley. Went out the next day and saw the body outline on the floor and circles where the bullet shells were. Who are you? the man demanded of Puebla. 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. However, when he was in jail awaiting trial, Juan remembered seeing camera crews filming at the stadium on the night in question. 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. Well, she knows you, the detective said. We only haunt the willing. The documentary was released on Netflix on September 29, 2017. Puebla was apparently aware that she had been labeled a snitch. Lets find out more about him. ", Melnick persuaded the producers to let him look at the episode "Carpool Lane" and its outtakes. A new Netflix documentary is to tell the story of Juan Catalan, a man falsely accused of killing a 16-year-old girl Credit: Netflix. I look at it like I did win the lottery because I got a new opportunity at life with my family. My friend. Both Juan Rodrguez and Martn Pinner admitted that they tried to coerce a false confession out of Catalan. The quirky day-in-the-life series centers on the misadventures of comedian Larry David, the lauded creator of "Seinfeld. Read Also:Why And How Was Jazmine Trotter Murdered? This was after she testified in a case that involved Vineland Boys gang member Jose Ledesma and co-defendant was Mario Catalan. Faqs and Side Effects on, 14 Black owned clothing brands impossible to ignore- Black Lives Matters, Savannah LaBrants Life Explained In 11 Facts, The Beauty of Karnataka- Must-Visit Places for Short Trips, Winter Vacations 2023 in United States, Top10 Destinations Listed Below in the, 11 Romantic Things To Do In the Maldivesfor Couples, How to Plan a Wholesome Trip to South India, Amad Diallo A Ivorian Football Sensation, Who is Brian Hollins? Rodriguez read Ledesma his Miranda rights, and Pinner started grilling him. She said she had not seen much of anything at all. To improve your experience. If the video did not exist he'd still be in prison right now. Facebook gives people the power to. Cataln was arrested on May 13, 2003, a day after the game, accused of the murder of Martha Puebla, a 16-year-old girl who had testified in a trial against Juans older brother. Stay on your toes, homie. He also became a big fan of baseball and also Curb your Enthusiasm. Juan Catalan was released from custody after a trial that lasted for six months. From that moment on, a series of errors by the accusing party, the desperation of the accused and his family due to an unfair accusation would be combined as a fundamental part of the investigation. Juan Catalans story inspired the 2017 short documentary film, Long Shot. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. 27 People Describe What Its Actually Like To Have Someone You Know Go Missing Or BeMurdered, 11 Scary Stranger Stories That Will Make You Check Your Locks AtNight, 10 People Reveal The Haunting Story Behind The Time They Accidentally Found A DeadBody, 50 World Travelers Tell Their Creepiest HotelStories, 50+ True Crime Stories That Will Shock You To YourCore. You may unsubscribe at any time. There are still thousands of innocent people serving time in prison who were wrongfully convicted. As the girls talked, gunshots suddenly filled the night air. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. You know me.. But before he was proven innocent, he had to face the possibility that his life would be reduced to another tragic statistic as he lived his life behind bars for a crime he did not commit. Its a moment in time that still haunts him today. I'm very happy Juan Catalan had a dedicated lawyer. It was a game that would end up saving his life. On the night of May 12, 2003, 16-year-old Martha Puebla was shot to death outside her home in Sun Valley, CA. phone records also showed that Juans cellphone pinged a tower near Dodger Stadium at 10:12 pm, which happens to be 31 minutes before Puebla was murdered. With that, the man pulled a 9-millimeter handgun from his sweat shirt pocket and started shooting. 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? Going to watch it after Ghosts. He was subsequently freed. You're never going to find your client on a tape., And on the, probably the fifth tape I think it was, Juan walked right into the camera shot, and the rest is history, as they say.. Came here to say this! Our newsletter keeps our core readers connected. 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. The documentary Long Shot, available on Netflix, tells the story of Juan Ignacio Cataln, a man with a troublesome life during his youth, who, because he was with the wrong people, at a bad time, was about to be sentenced to death, had it not been for that game that the Los Angeles Dodgers lost 11-4 to the Atlanta Braves and a cheap comedy shoot. Catalan was being charged with the murder of 16-year-old police informant, Martha Puebla. Puebla lay sprawled on her back in the street, legs splayed, eyes still open, her white sweater drenched in blood. He was released from maximum security custody after nearly 6 months while facing the death penalty until his lawyer @ToddMelnik was able to prove his innocence in court with the most unlikely and incredible alibi ever. Todd Melnik was Catalans lawyer and after questioning him, he realized that the pass to his freedom or to the gallows would be to verify that his client had been one of the 27, 458 fans who were present at the Dodgers Stadium on the day of the murder. The evidence was enough for the case against Juan to be dismissed and after five and a half months in jail he was released and later recieved 250,000 in compensation from the LAPD. Caspar Zafer: What Are The Fascinating Facts To Know About The Originals Actor? The days passed and while the presence of Cataln could not be verified in the game and not near the crime scene, the Hispanic man lived hours of terror in a maximum security prison. Her name starts with an M . said, You're crazy. Unlike his brother, Juan was a doting father and a law-abiding citizen. Long Shot is a 2017 short documentary film about how Juan Catalan was arrested for a murder he did not commit. Rodriguez had doctored it, circling Ledesmas photo and forging Pueblas statement and signature. For Juan Catalan, the faults of the criminal justice apparatus briefly showed their terrifying destructive potential when he was arrested for the murder of 16-year-old Martha Puebla. On 06/28/2021 CATALAN, JUAN filed a Personal Injury - Motor Vehicle lawsuit against ALLSTATE INDEMNITY COMPANY. Melnik agreed, and it would be the start of an emotional lifelong friendship between the two. He was suspected by police because the victim was the star witness against his brother two weeks before the murder, and an eyewitness to the murder said the killer was a youngish adult Latino man with a mustache (which also describes Juan). In 2003 Juan Catalan was arrested for murdering a teenage girl, even though he swore he couldn't have been at the purported crime scene because he was with his daughter at a Los Angeles Dodgers . '"That video evidence, combined with phone records that showed Catalan's cellphone pinged a tower near Dodger Stadium at 10:12 p.m. -- 31 minutes before the murder took place, roughly 20 miles away -- was enough to get Catalan acquitted. In August 2003, Juan Catalan, a 24-year-old father who worked in his family's machining business, was arrested for the murder of a 16-year-old girl. Only days before her murder, she had testified against young Mario Catalan involving a gang slaying in which Mario was charged as an accessory. Copyright 2022 Attorney-FAQ.com | version 5.1.20 (commit d0adbc) Laravel v 8.83.26 | (PHP v8.1.16), Home (current) | "He [Melnick] did the job the police were suppose to have done and are paid to do," said Gary Casselman, the attorney representing Catalan in the police misconduct lawsuit. "Though embarrassed to admit he had no idea who David was before this ordeal, Catalan is certainly a "Curb Your Enthusiasm" fan now. "That's where my love for the Dodgers grew. My brother was accused of a murder he did not commit, and it took me months of constant investigation - 50 hours or more per week - to gather the evidence necessary to establish conclusively it was not him. John Pyper Ferguson: 10 Unknown Facts About The Actor. In August 2003, the young father was targeted by ten undercover police officers and violently placed under arrest. 13K 208 comments Best Add a Comment Top_Duck8146 6 mo. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Yet despite the settlement, a Gofundme page organized by Melnik last March in support of Catalan says that Juan "still struggles today" financially, working in his father's machine shop to support his three children. And then there was another shot where he was standing up. He begged the girl for help and then died, his head slumped against the steering wheel. Although Catalan's attorney, Todd Melnik, eviscerated police for failing to do their job properly, Catalan has spent his post-jail time finding forgiveness for the officers who put him in jail, a process he says his mother encouraged. That just destroys a person in there.My thought was, Am I gonna die in here? We are brought up to think that, you know, the policemen are there to protect us, so just knowing that theyre doing something that they shouldnt, that changes everything. It also stated that at that time, Catalan was working in his fathers machine shop in other to support his family. 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). Why are people treating me this way? A phone number was listed in the log. "Once your freedom gets taken away," Catalan said, "you really recognize how lucky we are to be American citizens. Cheryl Hines has been fantastic in her role as Larry David's wife and ex-wife throughout the 10 seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm. With his freedom back, Catalan has also not forgotten the show that helped him secure it.May 1, 2021. That is why I keep my Google Location History active - not fool proof, but I am on the phone nearly all the time and can "triangulate" my calls and the location of my phone to establish almost always where I was at any given moment. But when a police supervisor learned the young girls name, he called Pinner. Those is the guy that shot my friends boyfriend was scrawled along the margin, followed by Pueblas signature. The shooting was retaliation for Puebla's testimony in a gang murder case in which Catalan's brother was a co-defendant. A hidden microphone recorded what they said. Mystic Meg zodiac signs latest: Riches in store for Capricorn & major changes await Gemini; plus weekly horoscopes, I went into politics after my MP sister Jo Cox was murdered 6 years on, I haven't come to terms with what happened, Being sexy is no longer about natural looks - glamour girls & TV stars look like filters, its scary, says Sam Fox. Unfortunately many people dont have the same luxury and pay with cash. He'd felt . As the detectives proceeded with their murder case against Ledesma, the gangsters friends schemed to do away with Puebla. His picture was circled. He stayed in the car while the girl went to Pueblas ground-floor window and asked if she wanted to come hang out. Police response when the case was dismissed: crickets. Hawaiian Eye Cast: Who And Where Are They Today? In addition to his flies and his genes, Juan had passions and interests that he carried with his proven sobriety. Catalan was arrested for Puebla's death in August 2003, and he maintained his innocence, telling prosecutors that he had taken his 6-year-old daughter to the Dodgers game on the night of the murder.Though Catalan could produce ticket stubs and offered to take a lie-detector test, real proof that he was in attendance was unavailable. Thats why we started Creepy Catalog in 2015 as a place for creepy content and creepy people to congregate. Mario Catalan, the suspect's brother, was a co-defendant in that case. On 05/30/1978 for a murder he did not commit Catalan lives today sun Valley, CA, where! It was such a bad experience, and to have all this good come out, I just feel blessed. I have multiple witnesses who are going to testify that you were the shooter.. . gordons chemist warrenpoint; bronny james high school ranking; how to unpair oculus quest 2 from phone; how hard is the real estate exam alberta; what colors go with benjamin moore alaskan husky; THE true story of a man who was falsely accused of a brutal gangland murder is being told in a new Netflix documentary. We hear you like all things creepy we do too. The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Bachelor Sister Wives 90 Day Fiance Wife Swap The Amazing Race Australia Married at First Sight The Real Housewives of Dallas My 600-lb Life Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. When you hear a grown man, you know, cry for help, and youre like, helpless, its a feeling like, man, just of completeno hope. Still, authorities continued to blame him as the crime was committed minutes after the LA game ended. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Like why? In 2004, Catalan told ABC's Brian Rooney how amazed he was at the events that led to his vindication. "It was incompetence; they took the easy way out," said the civil rights attorney. Sometimes they go the extra step of making up documents to bolster their lies. According to ABC News, Catalan is now a "devoted fan" of the acclaimed comedy series. A few years after the settlement, Neflix produced a short documentary about Juans case titled Long Shot It notes that if Juan had merely gone home that night and hadnt attended the game and been filmed by HBO, he might be on Death Row right now. Ledesma was growing agitated. Its just mindboggling of all the what-ifs in this case to make this alibi, at least a good portion of this alibi to come to life, Melnik told Bartlett. Catalan still works in the family business, but Casselman suggested he remains traumatized by the five months he spent in jail wrongly accused. What Juan Catalan endured at the hands of the Los Angeles police is no laughing matter, but it's comedy that saved him. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. Yet even after producing ticket stubs of the baseball game he attended, law enforcement had chosen their man in Catalan, and he was incarcerated to await his trial for capital murder. Pinner kept trying, pressing Ledesma about Puebla and the information he said she had given up. 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. The next night, Ledesma reached for a pay phone outside his cell. 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'. Martin Pinner, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department, was home that night. In his defense, Juan provided the ticket stubs to prove his innocence but it was to no avail. The case status is Pending - Other Pending. Once again they switched on a recorder. After dancing with death, Juan was a free man. She recalls not being nervous at all for the audition, because she expected not to get the part. Does Opening A Savings Account Affect Credit Score, Who Is Ella Rae Peck? Covarrubias persuaded other Vineland members to help. Pinner told Catalan that people had seen him shoot the girl. He mocked and swore at Pinner, repeatedly denying any role in the killings. Catalan was eventually cleared by an unusual method, ABC News reported. We also told you how Netflix is also making a documentary about the disapperance of Madeleine McCann. Plastic letters marking pieces of evidence dotted the street. The day the detectives arrested Juan Catalan, they thought they had the right man. Join Facebook to connect with Juan Catalan and others you may know. The Carpool Lane is obviously my favorite episode.. When Pinner and Rodriguez stepped into the interrogation room with Ledesma, they had little real information to work with. "You know, hate is, no one should walk around with hate in them. From getting the tickets on the day of, to being caught on camera, to what are the chances that out of 56 58,000 seats theyre filming on my aisle? Catalan said. Where and How to Become Billionaire With Just $20 in Your Wallet !! And a detailed log the detectives kept of their investigation shows no indication that they had contact with Puebla or her parents after they used the girl to bait Ledesma during the interrogation. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The authorities chalked it up as gang crime. All You Need to Know About Controversial Divorce Know All About Ex Wife of Dave Portnoy Till How Much Time Recession of 2023 Last? And although it later was revealed that the two police who investigated Juan and named him as the shooter had framed himand that amazingly, one of them is still employed as a copJuan says he forgives them: You know, hate is, no one should walk around with hate in them. I think its called the long shot. I need to place my client at Dodger Stadium on that night. 15 Types, Know All About Dramatic Character of Mia Benitez played by Sohvi Rodriguez, Know All About Ex Wife of Dave Portnoy -Renee Portnoy?