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. She recalls not being nervous at all for the audition, because she expected not to get the part. Though Catalan could produce ticket stubs and offered to take a lie-detector test, real proof that he was in attendance was unavailable. Juli Fisher: Why Did Jeff Fishers Ex-wife Leave Him After 22 Years of Marriage? There are still thousands of innocent people serving time in prison who were wrongfully convicted. How Juan Catalan Got Arrested for Killing a 16-Year-Old Girl in 2003 In August 2003, 16-year-old Martha Puebla was reportedly shot dead outside her home in San Fernando Valley. This was after she testified in a case that involved Vineland Boys gang member Jose Ledesma and co-defendant was Mario Catalan. "It is in their manual that they are supposed to check out an alibi or a defense.". The 40-minute film tells the surprising story of how a baseball game and a Curb . New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Press J to jump to the feed. 2010 The Thought & Expression Company, LLC. They were all fake. After a few minutes, she approached the car, where she found Vargas body riddled with bullets. Going to watch it after Ghosts. 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. Martha Puebla was allegedly gunned down outside her Sun Valley, Calif., home because she had testified in a gang murder case. Long Shot is a 2017 short documentary film about how Juan Catalan was arrested for a murder he did not commit. You got the wrong person, buddy, Ledesma said. Dont worry, you can unsubscribe any time you like. [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. Catalan begged the detectives to believe him, that he had nothing to do with Pueblas death. 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. The teenage girl, whom The Times is not identifying for her safety at the request of a prosecutor, had come with another friend, Christian Vargas. 13K 208 comments Best Add a Comment Top_Duck8146 6 mo. Long Shot is a 2017 short documentary film about how Juan Catalan was arrested for a murder he did not commit. which is not a strategy that a defense attorney representing a client will employ? Upon hearing all the evidence, the judge in the case dismissed all the charges and Juan was a free man. Prior to his current assignment, Rubin covered federal courts and agencies, the Los Angeles Police Department and the regions public schools. The timecode on the Curb Your Enthusiasm vision read 9.09pm, and the murder happened at 10.40pm - an hour and a half later. And dont get caught.. View the profiles of people named Juan Catalan. You know me.. The case status is Pending - Other Pending. He asked to take a lie-detector test. Juan Catalan was later seen in the footage with his daughter returning to their row after getting snacks at the concession stand. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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. Great documentary on Netflix about this, they interview Larry David and everything. On 06/28/2021 CATALAN, JUAN filed a Personal Injury - Motor Vehicle lawsuit against ALLSTATE INDEMNITY COMPANY. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Juan Catalan was riding to work at his father's shop, like any other day. Roll that tape back! 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. He quickly enlisted lawyer Todd Melnik to defend his case. The United States justice system is not perfect. In 2004, federal investigators got involved in the investigation into Pueblas killing as part of a larger case against the Vineland Boyz. Juan Catalan with wife Alma. She said she had not seen much of anything at all. We also told you how Netflix is also making a documentary about the disapperance of Madeleine McCann. 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). Where and How to Become Billionaire With Just $20 in Your Wallet !! The 24-year-old machinist was sent to jail to await trial for capital murder. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He also became a big fan of baseball and also Curb your Enthusiasm. A TV show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, contains raw footage that was instrumental in proving his innocence. "Who knew that love would one day save his life? 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. Before his arrest for murder, Catalan said he never watched "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Wonderful film. 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 . Some went to a firing range to test a gun they wanted to use, discarded it as unacceptable and found another. But being a relative of one of LAs notorious Vineland Gang members was enough to make him a suspect. Under his mattress, they found a loaded assault rifle and letters from other Vineland Boyz, many of them written from prison. Im so happy and grateful for that.. California AG's wife . Cheryl Hines has been fantastic in her role as Larry David's wife and ex-wife throughout the 10 seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm. 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.. He pushed three six-packs in front of him. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Unlike his brother, Juan was a doting father and a law-abiding citizen. Jenya Lano: What Are The Interesting Details To Know About The Actress? Juan had no idea why he had been arrested. I look at it like I did win the lottery because I got a new opportunity at life with my family. He stayed in the car while the girl went to Pueblas ground-floor window and asked if she wanted to come hang out. The story of Juan Ignacio Catalan, a man who had a troubled life during his youth and who was about to be sentenced to death because he was hanging out with the wrong people at the wrong time, is told in the documentary titled "Long Shot," which is currently streaming on Netflix. Brown down the street saw you doing this, because you put their lives in jeopardy.. Four hours after her audition, she got the call. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. But that wasn't enough. And eventually they found proof of Juan walking his young daughter to their seats inside the stadium. Their four-year old daughter was in the back seat. Following his arrest, the police further claimed they had a witness who put him at the crime scene. About | ", In the episode, David enlists the services of a prostitute -- not for sex, but as a passenger. Is Megan Thee Stallion Trans? The fatal shot -- fired from so close that it left soot and burn marks on Pueblas cheek -- struck just below her left eye. 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. This was after she testified in a case that involved Vineland Boys gang member Jose Ledesma and co-defendant was Mario Catalan. . It was an extraordinary denial of justice, but the police were convinced Juan was . In 2003, a man named Juan Catalan was arrested for murder in Los Angeles. She allegedly threatened her girlfriend, telling her that if she cooperated with authorities Puebla would tell the Vineland Boyz where the girls family lived. Witnesses had signed their names. THE true story of a man who was falsely accused of a brutal gangland murder is being told in a new Netflix documentary. He spent nearly six months in jail protesting his innocence while staring down the death penalty. But for law-abiding father, Juan Catalan, it was his harsh reality. 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. Homicide Detectives Pinner and Rodriquez eventually admitted they set Juan Catalan up to solve the case. With this, his life would definitely never remain the same. ", Melnick persuaded the producers to let him look at the episode "Carpool Lane" and its outtakes. After dancing with death, Juan was a free man. After spending not less than six months in jail, Catalan insisted on his innocence. Martha had earlier testified in a another gang-related murder case and police were convinced that Juan was the killer. "I really did jump out of my chair," Melnik said. When Pinner and Rodriguez stepped into the interrogation room with Ledesma, they had little real information to work with. Of the 58,000 seats filled with fans, filming took place right near where Catalan was sitting. Four other men were eventually found guilty of the murder. Ledesma insisted he did not know her. Mario Catalan, the suspect's brother, was a co-defendant in that case. 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. So interesting and so good to know an innocent man avoided jail! 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. 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? 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. L.A. Affairs: My divorce isnt contagious. Pinner and his partner, Juan Rodriguez, had been to that same dreary corner of Lull Street and Case Avenue months before to investigate the murder of another teen. "Now here he is standing here. 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 . All You Need to Know About Controversial Divorce Know All About Ex Wife of Dave Portnoy Till How Much Time Recession of 2023 Last? Only days before her murder, she had testified against young Mario Catalan involving a gang slaying in which Mario was charged as an accessory. View the profiles of people named Juan Cataln. I'm very happy Juan Catalan had a dedicated lawyer. He was an outcast, perhaps, in his Dodgers hat, considering it was the Yankees and Indians on the field below. My friend. Catalan still works in the family business, but Casselman suggested he remains traumatized by the five months he spent in jail wrongly accused. Join Facebook to connect with Juan Catalan and others you may know. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. It didn't matter. Its contents remained unknown until January 2005, when during preparation for Ledesmas trial for Vargas slaying -- more than two years after the recording was made -- Spanish-speaking LAPD officers listened to it and learned of the order to kill the girl, Pinner testified. John Pyper Ferguson: 10 Unknown Facts About The Actor. a challenge in which an attorney has broad discretion in excusing jurors is known as a. Cameras flashed. 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. Youre not going to be telling gang members Ms. The next night, Ledesma reached for a pay phone outside his cell. A TV show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, contains raw footage that was instrumental in proving his innocence. Founded in 2010, Thought Catalog is owned and operated by The Thought & Expression Company, Inc. For over a decade, we've been at the bleeding edge of media, pioneering an infrastructure for creatives to flourish both artistically and financially. . 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. He didnt remember the name of the showand later confessed that at the time, hed never heard of Curb Your Enthusiasmbut he did remember hearing that Super Dave Osborne, whose real name is Bob Einstein and played the character Marty Funkhouser on Curb, was somehow involved in the filming. 1 The Show Will Never Have A Big Finale Ending Like Seinfeld Did Facebook gives people the power to. The cagey comic wanted to use the carpool lane to avoid the clogged freeway full of fans headed to the Dodgers' game. Pinner remains a homicide detective in North Hollywood. Juan Catalans story inspired the 2017 short documentary film, Long Shot. Hawaiian Eye Cast: Who And Where Are They Today? A judge threw out the case, and Catalan was awarded $320,000 in a wrongful-arrest suit. Juan Catalns life changed forever the day he attended a Los Angeles Dodgers game with his little daughter. After his release, he described to a reporter the mental torture of being innocently jailed for murder: I felt like I didnt sleep for six months, because there was just so many, so much going on.l mean, Id never seen so many people just, you know, beaten, you know? The detectives, who were assigned the case, worked through the night and into the next morning tracking down leads. Ana Wolfermann: What Are The Interesting Facts About The Actress? The detectives were told that he was hanging out with another Vineland Boyz member, Mario Catalan. In regards to the murder, four men were later arrested and found guilty. One of them got out of the car, walked up to the girl and killed her. 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. 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. Rodriguez was transferred to an auto theft detail and is currently assigned to a vice unit. 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. And, of course, there was the body. She was even willing to produce the ticket stubs, and Juan was willing to take a lie-detector test, but prosecutors refused. Sure enough, there was a shot of Catalan and his daughter returning to their row after getting some snacks at the concession stand. 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. Right underneath my basketball hoop on the side of the street. A hidden microphone recorded what they said. If the video did not exist he'd still be in prison right now. Both Juan Rodrguez and Martn Pinner admitted that they tried to coerce a false confession out of Catalan. The Judge overseeing this case is ELAINE H PALMER. The ruse, as Pinner would later call it in court, was a legal move. Juan had heard from other inmates about a badass defense lawyer named Todd Melnik, and Juan frantically called him begging him to take on his case. Key Factors You Need to Know to Overcome the Recession -2023. 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. 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. 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. Alarmed by the gunfire, Pueblas mother rushed outside. Right name and its still on. Pain Hustlers A woman struggling to raise her daughter becomes involved in a dangerous racketeering scheme after taking a job at a failing pharmaceutical start-up. Aside from that he allegedly had no criminal records. 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. 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. Juan appeared sitting in the living room, accompanied by his wife, Brenda Rivera, whom he married in 2017 after 22 years of dating. 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. and a detective with the LAPDs Robbery-Homicide Division. You may unsubscribe at any time. 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. She told a friend that she knew the Vineland Boyz were blaming her for helping police with the Vargas murder investigation. According to ABC News, Catalan is now a "devoted fan" of the acclaimed comedy series. Federal and state courts throughout the country have repeatedly upheld the right of police officers to lie to people they have in custody. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Police swarmed the area, roping it off with yellow tape. I dont agree with you, and I have the evidence to prove it, Pinner said. Comeback story of 90s Sensation Carmen Electra!! Catalan told Melnik he was at Dodger Stadium watching a baseball game with his seven-year-old daughter Melissa the night of the murder. Rodriguez read Ledesma his Miranda rights, and Pinner started grilling him. 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. The Judge overseeing this case is ELAINE H PALMER. "Then I contacted the Dodgers, who guided me to the HBO production "Curb Your Enthusiasm. We only haunt the willing. Pinner told Catalan that people had seen him shoot the girl. We went through, probably, the first five tapes and there was no Juan on it, said Melnik. The artist's sketch Juan Ibanez helped the police develop looked nothing like Juan Catalan. You see, Rodriguez told Catalan, the pictures dont lie.. By pure coincidence, comedian Larry David was filming an episode of his hit show. However, Todd Melnik, his lawyer organized a Gofundme for Catalan claiming the latter never received any compensation for the movie. In the end, Juan Cataln was released, received 320 thousand dollars in compensation and those who accused him of cheating were dismissed. Just watched it based on this referral. . 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. NEW YORK -- Here he was among the multitudes that had assembled in Yankee Stadium on this wet October night. Thats why we started Creepy Catalog in 2015 as a place for creepy content and creepy people to congregate. It also makes me value using a credit card for most purchases which are all time stamped and traced. By nightfall, the suspects had been hauled back to LAPDs North Hollywood station for booking. But Pinner and Rodriguez werent having any of it. 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. Sometimes they go the extra step of making up documents to bolster their lies. But Catalan, of course, didnt know that. Not in my mind. The quirky day-in-the-life series centers on the misadventures of comedian Larry David, the lauded creator of "Seinfeld. It was such a bad experience, and to have all this good come out, I just feel blessed. All About Second Oldest Paper in Texas- Victoria Story of 200 Old Journalism-Newark Advocate, A Complete Biography of German Goalkeeper Bernd Leno. A phone number was listed in the log. Catalan told Ledesma about the weapon immediately. According to Melnik: I told him. Its a moment in time that still haunts him today. With the arrival of federal authorities, Pinner and Rodriguez were phased out as the lead investigators. They brought him into an interview room in the same North Hollywood station where they had grilled Ledesma nine months before. Im a baby naming pro and these are the top so far for this year - would you add them to your list? Areas to Examine for Personal Growth Advancement. Property News:Music promoter Michael Coppel sells Toorak home for more than $30 million - domain.com.au, Your web browser is no longer supported. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Juan Catalan was exonerated from a crime he did not commit after he and his lawyer, Todd Melnik found an unusual way of clearing his name. 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. But Long Shot, a short documentary about how Los Angeles man Juan Catalan avoided death row, is a rare exception. ", "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. Heard the gunshots. What Juan Catalan endured at the hands of the Los Angeles police is no laughing matter. Thank you for posting. Well, she knows you, the detective said. He just had to prove it. 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. 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.