LAKEPORT — Witnesses testified in court Friday that on the night of the shooting, a Lakeport man asked to go outside away from his children before a North Hollywood man allegedly shot him for a $50 debt.
Raymundo Catalan, 32, allegedly argued with Marshall Wisterman, 35, and then shot him at close range on Jan. 4 outside of the north Lakeport man”s home. Catalan appeared in court Friday for his preliminary hearing.
Judge Richard Freeborn said the only alleged humane decision Catalan made was to allow Wisterman to walk outside away from his children before shooting him. Freeborn ruled there was sufficient evidence to hold Catalan on the charges and allegations.
“It”s a really low crime,” Freeborn said.
The judge also said the case seems like a “drug deal gone sour.”
Catalan is charged with attempted murder, torture, aggravated mayhem, mayhem and assault with a firearm. A number of special allegations accompany the charges, including that he intentionally discharged a firearm causing great bodily injury, that he used a firearm and that he inflicted great bodily injury. Catalan also has a prior strike and prison record. He faces about 36 years to life in prison.
Chief deputy district attorney Rich Hinchcliff dropped the sixth charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm because he said he presented no evidence to support it.
Amanda Wisterman, Marshall Wisterman”s wife, was the first of three witnesses to take the stand.
She said Catalan came to her house the night of the shooting apparently to get a camera Catalan had given her husband to give to her for Christmas along with a comforter. Catalan then went into the bathroom with her husband, walked outside with her husband and then she heard the gunshot, the wife testified.
“It was a gunshot but it sounded like somebody threw a rock at my washing machine,” Amanda Wisterman testified.
“I didn”t do anything at first,” she said. “Both my sons ran into the room.”
She said her sons, 14 and 4, were crying and said their dad was shot.
“I told them to stay in my bedroom and I ran out to the carport where Marshall was shot,” she said. “He was trying to get up the steps. He was holding his side.”
She said he was bleeding.
“He said, ?I”m going to die” probably about 10 times,” she said.
“I believe he was shot because he didn”t pay for the camera and comforter,” she said.
She admitted to using methamphetamine with her husband about a week before the shooting. She testified she never bought drugs from Catalan but her husband did.
Deputy Gavin Wells of the Lake County Sheriff”s Office testified that he spoke with Marshall Wisterman before paramedics arrived.
“I told him that because I believed he was going to die it was important to determine who shot him,” Wells said. “He told me a subject by the name of Raymond had shot him.”
Wells said Marshall Wisterman told him he had been in an argument with the man and the man shot him over $50 he owed the man.
Detective John Drewrey of the Lake County Sheriff”s Office testified he went to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital to interview Marshall Wisterman.
The man wouldn”t tell Drewrey who shot him, but when Drewrey said Raymond, Wisterman responded, “Well, I”m not the one who said it,” Drewrey testified.
Drewrey said Wisterman told him he was afraid that if he spoke with law enforcement and went to prison he would be killed in prison.
“Marshall said that he walked into the bathroom and he pointed a gun at me,” Drewrey testified. “Marshall said not to do it in front of his kids.”
“He was five feet from him when he lifted up the gun and shot him,” Drewrey said Wisterman told him.
Drewrey also spoke with the trauma surgeon who treated Wisterman. The doctor told Drewrey that Wisterman had a life-threatening through-and-through gunshot wound to the left abdomen that damaged his stomach, artery to his kidney and other arteries.
Wisterman was discharged Jan. 19, Drewrey testified. The gun was a .45.
Catalan will return to court 8:15 a.m. June 21 in Department 3 for arraignment on information.
Contact Katy Sweeny at kdsweeny@gmail.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
