Prosecutors are trying to consolidate the legal efforts against a Santa Clarita Valley man charged with fatally striking a motorcyclist in one case and then allegedly beating up a witness who testified against him and driving away in the victim’s car, more than two years ago.
Deputy District Attorney Kevin Sexton filed a motion to make one trial for a pair of cases against James Preston Fulton, 61.
At an Oct. 6 hearing, Fulton’s attorneys filed a 995 motion, seeking to throw out a number of charges and arguing there was not sufficient evidence presented during Fulton’s preliminary hearing.
The first case alleges Fulton was driving a white F-450 on Soledad Canyon Road, east of Indian Canyon, when he made a U-turn directly in front of Jeff Engels on Feb. 7, 2023.
“The defendant drove for approximately one-quarter mile with the victim being dragged underneath the truck. Eventually the victim became dislodged, and other motorists found his body on the highway. CCTV footage of the collision was collected by law enforcement and after interviewing witnesses it was determined that following the collision the defendant drove to his residence, parked the truck behind bushes and left the location,” according to the motion filed by the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office.
The second case is related to the first charges, according to the motion from the DA’s Office, which states that on Feb. 20, 2023, Matthew Schoenholz, who knows the defendant well, observed the truck being driven by the defendant right after the time of the crash.
“Shortly after his phone call with (California Highway Patrol) on Feb. 20, it is alleged that the defendant and four other people went to victim/witness Matthew Schoenholz’s residence and attacked him,” according to the prosecution’s motion, noting the defendant used his hands, feet and a jack handle before driving away from the location in Schoenholz’s car.
In the prosecution’s motion, Sexton states the alleged crimes are related and led directly into one another.
“The people request the court to grant this motion to consolidate based on the two cases, belonging to the same class of offenses, the existence of evidence common to both cases, the existence of a witness common to both cases and elements common to both,” according to the motion.
“Both motions are now scheduled to be heard on Nov. 21 at 8:30 a.m. in Department A21 of the Lancaster courthouse,” according to an email Tuesday from Venusse Dunn, spokeswoman for the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office.
