LAKEPORT ? Enough evidence was found Wednesday to hold Ivan Garcia Oliver, 30, to answer on charges of murder and attached special allegations, including elder abuse, using a knife and using information found on the Megan”s Law Web site to commit a crime.
Oliver went before Lake County Superior Court Judge Arthur Mann for a preliminary examination of the likelihood that he could be found guilty of the charges. The charges stemmed from a Nov. 20, 2007 incident in which Oliver allegedly stabbed neighbor Michael A. Dodele, 67, in his Lakeshore Boulevard trailer home because he believed Dodele was a child molester.
Among the witnesses were Lake County Sheriff”s Office deputies who testified that Oliver admitted he killed Dodele, who was listed on the Megan”s Law Web site as a registered sex offender. Dodele was registered for convictions of rape by force and “oral copulation on a person under 14/etc., or by force/etc.,” according to a printout from the Web site that LCSO Sgt. Brian Martin read to the court.
Investigator Brian Kenner testified about the moments surrounding Oliver”s arrest at the scene.
“Some of the comments he made to me were, ?I just got to tell you I did this ?. I was minding my own business and the neighbor attacked my family. I was just protecting my family. I wasn”t going to let that guy hurt my son, so I took care of business,”” Kenner said.
Detective Corey Paulich of the LCSO testified that Oliver had said he wasn”t sorry for killing Dodele, even though Oliver said he wasn”t aware of any time when Dodele had touched his son. Paulich said Oliver had waived his Miranda Rights and had agreed to talk to detectives. Oliver”s defense attorney, Jeremy Dzubay, said Oliver had requested to be taken back to his cell two minutes into the interview.
Martin said that just days before the incident, Oliver told the mobile home park manager, Lacy Kou, that he had seen a car speed away when he went outside to pick up his four-year-old son from the front lawn.
“He told her he didn”t want child molesters living in the area and that they needed to do something about it,” Martin said.
Martin went on to testify about an interview he conducted with Lena Wilson, Oliver”s mother. He said Oliver told her he intended to take action, and that she had warned Oliver be careful about using information from the Megan”s Law Web site, because the people listed could be rehabilitated after committing sex crimes years ago.
“Mr. Oliver told her that you can”t fix those people, he told her that you shouldn”t put those people in society and that they needed to be done away with,” Martin said.
Martin said he had interviewed Oliver”s live-in girlfriend, Cathleen Ferron, who claimed Oliver had mental health problems for which he was not getting help. In addition, Martin said Ferron had told him Oliver “hadn”t slept in days,” and that he had been using methamphetamine and marijuana.
Dzubay said he hadn”t entered a not guilty by reason of insanity plea, but said he may explore that possibility.
Oliver is due back in court Dec. 22 for a second arraignment. Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff said it is unknown whether a trial date will be set at that time.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636 ext. 37.
