Castaic Man Charged With Attempted Murder Due Back In Court

Posted by: Perry Smith in Sheriff News May 16, 2014 - 1:05 pm 0 156 Views

A Castaic man accused of attempted murder after a wheelchair-bound man was beaten with a miniature baseball bat is expected to have a preliminary hearing in June, according to officials.

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Ron Holt, 46, is due back in court Monday for a pretrial hearing; however, he has a tentative preliminary hearing date of June 12, according to Sheriff’s Department arrest records.

Related article: Castaic Man Due Back In June On Attempted Murder Charge

At a preliminary hearing, a judge will review the evidence of the case and determine if there is enough to merit a trial.

Holt is accused of assaulting Lance Love, of Sunland, more than a year ago. Holt has been in custody since March 2013, in lieu of more than $1 million bail.

From an earlier story

Witnesses claimed Holt was refused service March 17, 2013, at The Sundown Bar at the 7800 block of Foothill Boulevard in Sunland, because he was drunk, according to Detective Anthony Stephenson of the Los Angeles Police Department.

“He turned to the victim (who was inside the bar) and said, ‘Hey Lance, you know me, tell them I’m OK,’” Stephenson said.

When Love refused to get involved, Holt left the bar, came back and struck Love twice with a miniature baseball bat, Stephenson said.

“He hit the suspect twice and knocked the victim out of his (motorized) wheelchair and knocked the wheelchair over with (the victim),” he said.

Holt was wearing a Vagos Tshirt when he was arrested, which is associated with a known motorcycle gang, but Stephenson said he could not confirm with documented evidence that Holt was a member of the gang.

Holt did have a criminal record, Stephenson said, and confirmed that Holt has served two separate sentences in state prisons.

Holt was arrested in 2013 after a brief “low-speed” pursuit of his green Mazda on Interstate 5, south of Highway 14, where he was pulled over.

A gang unit with the Los Angeles Police Department coordinated with Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies on surveillance of Holt’s Castaic home off Ridge Route Road, Stephenson said.

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