"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 Long Shot, a short documentary about how Los Angeles man Juan Catalan avoided death row, is a rare exception. I looked at tape after tape. Witnesses had signed their names. Came here to say this. Bio, Best Films, Dating, Parents. Then, on that May night, Covarrubias and other gang members drove to Pueblas block. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. "We used all kinds of things --- Hollywood TV shows, modern technology and good, old-fashioned detective work -- to piece together things to determine where he was," Melnik said. Despite being at a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game at the time Puebla was killed in a drive-by shooting, Catalan was arrested for the crime. 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. 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. Thats poison in our bodies that, you know, it doesnt hurt the person you hate, it hurts yourself, and it eats away at your soul. Puebla, in fact, hadnt dropped a dime. But Juan Catalan said he was at a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game -- not a drive-by shooting -- at the time of the murder. Catalan was ultimately exonerated by outtakes from "Curb Your Enthusiasm," an HBO comedy show that captured him at the Dodgers game, which was featured in Season 4's episode "The Car Pool Lane.". I dont agree with you, and I have the evidence to prove it, Pinner said. . This documentary came out in 2017, 14 years after what happened. The prosecutor acknowledged that he did not attend the meeting, which occurred about five months after detectives had given Pueblas name to Ledesma. Does Opening A Savings Account Affect Credit Score, Who Is Ella Rae Peck? Went out the next day and saw the body outline on the floor and circles where the bullet shells were. "It is in their manual that they are supposed to check out an alibi or a defense.". 1 The Show Will Never Have A Big Finale Ending Like Seinfeld Did In reality, you don't automatically have 2022 WeAskFreak - Answers to questions on people, things, and places. It also stated that at that time, Catalan was working in his fathers machine shop in other to support his family. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Cokester, he said into the receiver, calling his friend Javier Covarrubias by one of his gang monikers, do you know the slut that lives there by . That night detectives searched his familys home. In regards to that, the police arrested Juan Catalan, who happens to be Mario Catalan was arrested outside his home in the presence of his daughter, Melissa who was around four to six years. Pinner remains a homicide detective in North Hollywood. Juan is pictured visiting Dodger's Stadium, The horrifying true story of a man falsely accused of a brutal gangland murder in documentary Long Shot is about to become your new Netflix obsession, Harry launches fresh attack on Charles saying he grew up in 'broken home' & insists 'mum felt like I do' about Royals, Break down the barriers? 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. Catalan still works in the family business, but Casselman suggested he remains traumatized by the five months he spent in jail wrongly accused. 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. Join Facebook to connect with Juan Cataln and others you may know. Juan was arrested and charged with a murder he clearly did not commit. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Lets find out more about him. 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. Unlike his brother, Catalan was a law-abiding citizen and doting father. They had met Puebla then. which is not a strategy that a defense attorney representing a client will employ? Puebla was apparently aware that she had been labeled a snitch. Since an eyewitness identified Juan as the shooter and Juan had a criminal record from his teens, police arrested him and charged him with murder. With the presumption of innocence missing from the start, Catalan needed an alibi - his life quite literally depended on it. She argued that there was plenty of time for Juan to leave the stadium and drive the 20 miles to commit the slaying. Detectives lie frequently, typically telling a suspect that they have DNA evidence or video footage or witnesses. And when he was eighteen, he caught a home-run ball as it sailed into the stands. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Despite the video evidence, the authorities claimed the time on the video was different from the time of the murder. 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. Carol Highsmith, Library of Congress, Public Domain Juan Catalan Juan's wife's name was "Alma," but It didn't seem to matter to police that he had never owned a white Ford F150 and had never been to Mexico. 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? . Catalan was eventually cleared by an unusual method, ABC News reported. They agreed. Ana Wolfermann: What Are The Interesting Facts About The Actress? 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. The documentary was released on Netflix on September 29, 2017. 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. The shooting was retaliation for Puebla's testimony in a gang murder case in which Catalan's brother was a co-defendant. My friend. He told the New York Post: "That show is hilarious. The FOX Sports TV feed and the Dodgers' in-house video and security feeds did not include shots of his section with a high enough resolution to reveal him.But the key to the case was when Catalan remembered someone in his section making mention that "Super Dave Osborne" -- otherwise known as actor and comedian Bob Einstein, who plays Marty Funkhouser on "Curb" -- was in attendance. Cameras flashed. She is dropping dimes.. 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. 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. Three months later, Juan was charged with the murder of 16-year-old Martha Puebla. He was an outcast, perhaps, in his Dodgers hat, considering it was the Yankees and Indians on the field below. 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. You may unsubscribe at any time. Went out the next day and saw where she died. O_O, "Caybman, you were the only phone pinged when the event occurred. Melnik agreed, and it would be the start of an emotional lifelong friendship between the two. Melnik called it, and the person on the other end answered, "HBO. She is currently assigned to the Major Crimes Division where she vertically prosecutes high-profile, complex homicides. 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. 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. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Sh Kasamatsu: What Is His Bio, Age, Best Works, And Net Worth? The artist's sketch Juan Ibanez helped the police develop looked nothing like Juan Catalan. The girl jumped through the window, cowering in Pueblas room. 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. Case Summary. "One of the crew members, he let me go in front of the camera," Catalan said. The Judge overseeing this case is ELAINE H PALMER. "I mean, if that's not a miracle, I don't know what is. 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. Juan Catalan grew up loving the Dodgers. He also became a big fan of baseball and also Curb your Enthusiasm. So interesting and so good to know an innocent man avoided jail! Hawaiian Eye Cast: Who And Where Are They Today? 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. '"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. Again, he was able to prove that his wife, Amla called him as he was leaving the stadium with his daughter at around 10:13 pm. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Juan Catalan was later seen in the footage with his daughter returning to their row after getting snacks at the concession stand. 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Pinner, Rodriguez and the district attorneys office declined to comment for this article. And he produced the ticket stubs to prove it. A TV show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, contains raw footage that was instrumental in proving his innocence. 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 was initially arrested in 2003 for the murder of 16-year-old Martha Puebla. By subscribing, you agree to the terms of our Privacy Statement. Eleven days before she was killed, Puebla testified at a preliminary hearing in Ledesmas murder trial. In 2003, a man named Juan Catalan was arrested for murder in Los Angeles. According to Curb creator and star Larry David: The episode was that I picked up a hooker in the car pool lane and took her to Dodger Stadium.We shot in two sections in Dodger Stadium. Great documentary on Netflix about this, they interview Larry David and everything. 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 . Plastic letters marking pieces of evidence dotted the street. Whatever Happened To Juan Catalan After His Exoneration. ", In the episode, David enlists the services of a prostitute -- not for sex, but as a passenger. On a cool spring night five years ago, 16-year-old Martha Puebla sat on the curb outside her Sun Valley home, talking to a friend, when a man walked up from behind. At one point he asked Rodriguez for a photo of the girl to show Ledesma. In August 2003, 16-year-old Martha Puebla was reportedly shot dead outside her home in San Fernando Valley. He spent nearly six months in jail protesting his innocence while staring down the death penalty. Nothing worked. In 2004, Catalan told ABC's Brian Rooney how amazed he was at the events that led to his vindication. Uh huh, like that, Ledesma told Covarrubias, using a mix of Spanish and English. Catalan was eventually cleared by an unusual method, ABC News reported. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? The case status is Pending - Other Pending. 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. Juli Fisher: Why Did Jeff Fishers Ex-wife Leave Him After 22 Years of Marriage? "My life has changed immensely and for the better," Catalan said. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Why And How Was Jazmine Trotter Murdered? On 05/30/1978 for a murder he did not commit Catalan lives today sun Valley, CA, where! In addition to his flies and his genes, Juan had passions and interests that he carried with his proven sobriety. Martin Pinner, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department, was home that night. Finally, after months, Juan recalled that a TV show had been filming at the stadium the night of the game. 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. It was such a bad experience, and to have all this good come out, I just feel blessed. One step below, nature photography, especially butterflies, which he enjoyed. But after his release from jail, he became a devoted fan. The fatal shot -- fired from so close that it left soot and burn marks on Pueblas cheek -- struck just below her left eye. Our newsletter keeps our core readers connected. Far from helping the police, the reality was that Puebla had actually tried to protect Ledesma in the hours after the shooting. While representatives for the Los Angeles City Council confirm the amount of the settlement, it does not come with any admission of wrongdoing on the part of police officers or the city. But Pinner and Rodriguez werent having any of it. Rodriguez had doctored it, circling Ledesmas photo and forging Pueblas statement and signature. The documentary was released on Netflix on September 29, 2017, and it received numerous awards and an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Documentary for a Short Film. He stayed in the car while the girl went to Pueblas ground-floor window and asked if she wanted to come hang out. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We rewound the tape, and just as Im walking up the aisle in one shot, this guy is sitting right there. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. 5 Facts About Her Gender and Sexuality. Rodriguez was transferred to an auto theft detail and is currently assigned to a vice unit. 15 Types, Know All About Dramatic Character of Mia Benitez played by Sohvi Rodriguez, Know All About Ex Wife of Dave Portnoy -Renee Portnoy? The authorities chalked it up as gang crime. They were all fake. Melnik, who had pored over countless hours of stadium surveillance footage but couldnt find anything that was clear enough to identify Juan, contacted HBO and asked if he could review their outtakes for the show. 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. Im gonna get you outta here. I gotta find the Holy Grail of Juans defense. 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. Signing up helps us (not Zuckerberg) stay in direct contact with you and create the best horror website possible. Contact, how to write a letter of power of attorney, how long after death does someone have power of attorney, how is christian rivera paying for his attorney, how much does kenya attorney general earned income, va free legal forms, how to award power of attorney of my child while i am incarcerated, what does it mean to give power of attorney, how long after a personal injury do i have to contact an attorney. And, of course, there was the body. 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. Wonderful film. In regards to the murder, four men were later arrested and found guilty. June 14, 2022 . Whenever Larry inevitably finds himself lying to his wife, Cheryl, about his latest convoluted mishap . His offer to take a lie-detector test was refused. On the night of May 12, 2003, 16-year-old Martha Puebla was shot to death outside her home in Sun Valley, CA. With the arrival of federal authorities, Pinner and Rodriguez were phased out as the lead investigators. Unlike his brother, Catalan was a law-abiding citizen and doting father. The convincing proof was provided by outtake footage from Larry David's hit sitcom, which just so happened to be filming in Catalan's section on that May day.This is a story that might involve Hollywood, but it's not one you could concoct with your imagination. "It was incompetence; they took the easy way out," said the civil rights attorney. 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. One of them got out of the car, walked up to the girl and killed her. Martha had earlier testified in a another gang-related murder case and police were convinced that Juan was the killer. After a couple months with Juan in jail, his girlfriend reminded him he had been at the Dodger game that night with his daughter. But Juan Catalan said he was at a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game -- not a drive-by shooting -- at the time of the murder . Theres like, in there, its just like, you know, thats supposed to rehabilitate a person? Juan Catalns life changed forever the day he attended a Los Angeles Dodgers game with his little daughter. Pinner is still a police officer to this day. "Then I contacted the Dodgers, who guided me to the HBO production "Curb Your Enthusiasm. Even your cell phone location data can be used to prove if you were at a location or somewhere completely different. But Catalan, of course, didnt know that. 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. I dont even know a Martha, Ledesma lied. Some went to a firing range to test a gun they wanted to use, discarded it as unacceptable and found another. Even though the interrogation was going nowhere, the case against Ledesma was growing stronger. 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. In August 2003, they arrested Juan Catalan, Mario's brother, for Puebla's murder. Roll that tape back! Right name and its still on. What Juan Catalan endured at the hands of the Los Angeles police is no laughing matter, but it's comedy that saved him. Chance Michael Corbitt: Where In Gods Name Is The Actor. 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