Here's a Roundup of Chatsworth Court Cases

Defendants in several Chatsworth-connected crimes are now appearing in court. Here's a rundown.

First there’s Joseph Reyes Rogero.

The 24-year-old Van Nuys man is accused of impersonating a police officer and fondling at least five young girls near Lawrence Middle School in Chatsworth.

Rogero, who worked at a martial art studio in Chatsworth, is expected to appear in court today.

Rogero, who is being held in lieu of $5.5 million bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility downtown Los Angeles, was initially charged
with 18 felony charges and one misdemeanor count including kidnapping for child molestation and lewd acts on a child.

When Rogero was arrested on June 14, police said they believed there were additional victims. [See attached video.]

Then there's Chatsworth resident, David Neylander Pearson, who is accused of strangling his girlfriend, Kirstin Hyde.

Pearson turned himself in to police.

Pearson remains in custody at Men’s Central Jail downtown Los Angeles on $1 million bail and is expected in court on July 26.

Pearson allegedly strangled Hyde, 62, on or between June 13 and 14, according to the felony complaint.

Police officials said they believe the couple was arguing when Pearson allegedly strangled the Chatsworth woman in the apartment they shared in the 9200 block of Topanga Canyon Boulevard.

Then on Aug. 17, David Armstrong, appears in court for a preliminary hearing when the District Attorney’s office is expected to present its evidence.

Armstrong, 32, is on trial for the shooting death of Brian Russell Kaplon, also 32, both were Chatsworth High School classmates in their youth. Kaplon was an expectant father and a digital distribution executive with NBC Universal.

The men were said to be friends. Their wives have been best
friends since high school in Granada Hills. Kaplon’s wife was pregnant with twins at the time of her husband’s death on March 18. She was due to deliver the babies in May.

Armstrong was released on $1 million bail.

On Aug. 30, Chatsworth resident, Aaron Clay Tanner, will appear in the Los Angeles Superior Court downtown Los Angeles.

Tanner, 31, was accused of stabbing his mother, assaulting a peace officer and committing a carjacking on Dec. 24.

Tanner is being held at Men’s Central Jail in lieu of $1,910 million bail.

He was initially charged with one count each of assault with a deadly weapon, a knife; assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury; kidnapping for carjacking; attempted carjacking; and felony evading law enforcement, according to a release issued by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Tanner, who has been described as mentally challenged, was additionally charged with two felony counts of carjacking, two misdemeanor counts of hit-and-run driving and nine felony counts of assault on a peace officer, authorities said.

The rampage started with the stabbing of Tanner’s mother while she was driving on the Antelope Valley Freeway near Sylmar. She was pushed from the car, authorities said. Tanner is also accused of stealing a car with a 4-year-old child inside and crashing it. Tanner then allegedly stole a sheriff’s patrol car.

The patrol car was driven off a 100-foot embankment, which started a fire.

If convicted, the Tanner faces a possible sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole.

On Aug. 31, the court will hear a motion to compel in a case involving a young girl who was sexually molested by a former pastor at Foursquare Church in Chatsworth. The complaint was filed Dec. 15 against International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.

A motion to compel asks the court to order either the opposing party or a third party to take some action, usually as part of pretrial discovery.

Martin Briviesca Leon was criminally charged for molestation on Jan. 8, 2009.

Leon pleaded no contest and was convicted of one count of child abuse, according to the District Attorney’s office. One count of sexual battery was dismissed at sentencing on Jan. 11, 2010.

Approximately one year prior, the defendant allegedly assaulted another child and that child complained of the abuse to different pastor at the church, according to the complaint filed by the victim’s attorney.

Instead of immediately reporting the abuse to police, as is required by the California law, the pastor is accused of utilizing his position of influence over the girl by discouraging her from taking any further action, according to the complaint.

Neither that pastor, the Chatsworth Four Square Church, nor any other of the defendants took any action to investigate, discipline or more closely supervise Leon's conduct with children, according to the complaint.

The complaint alleges that the defendants knew that Leon's position as a pastor would give him contact with children both on church grounds and in the community. And, as a pastor he would be carrying the authority of the church.

In January, Leon was sentenced to 365 days of jail as a condition of probation and was placed on formal probation for five years. Additionally, a "keep away" order was imposed also for five years, according to the district attorney's office.

The crime reportedly happened on the church grounds.

The civil trial against the church begins March 20, 2012.

Remember the Stoney Point brush fire set off by illegal fireworks on July 4? Fire officials are still looking for two people who were reportedly burned. The Los Angeles Fire Department has its arson team investigating the origin of the fire.

LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey said earlier last week that a search of area hospitals came up empty. Humphrey said unless someone comes forward with more information leading to finding the burn victims, the investigation remains open.

Humphrey said a witness told authorities about the two individuals.

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