Jury selection was underway Thursday for the trial of a man accused of killing another in a 2023 hit-and-run crash on Soledad Canyon Road and then leading an attack on a witness who contacted law enforcement officials, according to court records.
James Preston Fulton, 62, is charged with six felonies, including a DUI resulting in death and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence in the death of Jeff Ellery Engels on Feb. 7, 2023, and several more charges related to an assault less than two weeks later.
The first week of the trial wrapped up late Thursday afternoon, with attorneys on both sides whittling down a pool of 60 jurors to 12, according to the minute order for Department A21 in the Antelope Valley Courthouse.
Shea Sanna, deputy district attorney for the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office, confirmed Thursday he was assigned the case earlier this year.
There was no indication of a plea deal offered, according to the case’s minute order. The complaint against Fulton indicated he could face more than 25 years in state prison, if convicted as charged.
The minute order indicated the case was expected to have a three-week trial, with jury selection slated to pick up again Monday, and opening statements happening late Monday or Tuesday morning.
Judge Scott Andrew Yang ordered the cases against Fulton consolidated in January, when Fulton reaffirmed his not-guilty plea.
Karen Engels, Jeff’s sister, told The Signal she’s been waiting three years for next week, after a series of delays in the investigation and then the pretrial process.
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.
Preston “drove for approximately one-quarter mile with the victim being dragged underneath the truck,” according to a previous motion from the prosecution, which states Engels’ bike was found more than 1,000 feet from the crash site.
The second case is related to the first one, Yang ruled Jan. 23.
It alleges 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. He contacted the California Highway Patrol and, not longer after, he was assaulted by a tire-iron-wielding Fulton and several of his friends.
The criminal complaint also lists a criminal record for Fulton dating back more than 35 years, starting with a burglary conviction in 1988, and three more for receiving stolen property.
The trial is likely to wrap up April 3, according to the schedule.
