By Aaron Burgin, The Porterville Recorder
A Porterville man said Monday he saw a man with a gun take aim at Felix Platas Jr. on July 12, but is not sure who fired the fatal shot.

Alfredo “Freddy” Sanchez is the prosecution's key witness in the case against Joseph Sierra and Skyler Charlie, who are charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Platas. Sanchez and the case's investigating detective took the stand in the first day of a two-day preliminary hearing. Tulare County Superior Court Judge Ronn Couillard will determine Tuesday if the men will be bound over for trial.

The attorneys involved said there were no surprises after the first day. “It went exactly as it was supposed to,” prosecutor Nick Schuller said. “Tomorrow we will call some more witnesses and the judge will make a decision.”

Sheriff's deputies found Platas in his car suffering from a gunshot wound at the end of a dirt driveway in the 15400 block of Dogwood Avenue in the early morning hours July 12. Tulare County Sheriff's deputies learned through the course of the investigation that Platas was shot after he was involved in an altercation with Sierra and Charlie.

Initially, Sanchez called 911 and reported that a car had crashed into his motorcycle and came to a stop in his driveway. On Monday, Sanchez said he lied to the 911 operator and later to sheriff's deputies before telling the truth about Platas' death - only after a detective revealed Platas' brother-in-law had recorded a conversation in which Sanchez told him the details.

Deputies detained Sanchez after the shooting, then in late July as an accessory to the incident. It was only after the second arrest that Sanchez came forward to detectives.

Sanchez said he balked at telling the truth because “he feared for his life.” “I was scared, I didn't know what to do, I didn't know what was going on,” Sanchez said. “I didn't know if I'd be next.” Sanchez testified that Charlie, whom he never met before that night, was the only man with a gun during the altercation that led to Platas death.

He just never saw Charlie pull the trigger, claiming the dust kicked up from the car obstructed his view, and that he retreated into his home too fast to see who the shooter was. Sanchez, however, told a detective that he saw Charlie “take aim and shoot” Platas. “I didn't actually see him shoot,” said Sanchez, who was in custody during his testimony. “He [Felix] had peeled out and there was dust everywhere.”

Sanchez, who knew Platas and Sierra - whom he knew by the moniker “Lazy” - said the two men were scheduled to meet at his house because Sierra owed Platas some money. Through the testimony of Detective Jim Franks, it was revealed that Sierra allegedly sold methamphetamine for Platas, who was nine months removed from state prison. Franks said Sierra told him after his arrest Aug. 31 that he was going on July 12 to confront Platas, who had allegedly been “talking trash” about Sierra for not paying him back in a timely fashion.

Platas had come by twice that night, and Sierra arrived with Charlie and a third man briefly after Platas' second visit, Sanchez said. About thirty minutes later, the three men went outside. Shortly thereafter, Sanchez said, he heard someone who sounded like Platas scream his name. “I heard someone scream, “Fred! Fred! The gun!,” Sanchez said. “I opened my side door and saw Lazy and Felix were in the front seat fighting.” Sanchez said he yelled “what's going on,” and Charlie allegedly flashed a gun at him, at which time Sanchez said he retreated into his house for a few seconds.

The witness also said he thought he saw Sierra get dragged under the car as Platas put it in reverse, but was not sure if this had happened. Inside his home, Sanchez said he heard the howl of screeching tires, and several crashes. Sanchez said he assumed it was Platas crashing into his motorcycle, which was parked outside the door, and several brick columns in his front yard. Dust was everywhere, Sanchez said.

Opening the side door again, Sanchez said he saw the car roll forward into a fence toward the third man, who has yet to be identified. That man jumped over the fence and Sanchez said he never saw him again.

As the car backed up again, Sanchez said he saw Charlie take aim in the vicinity of Platas. Then he heard a shot and retreated into his house. Sanchez said he emerged from the house, and went toward the back driveway, but never got close to Platas' vehicle.

In their cross-examination, defense attorneys Roland Soltesz and Tony Reyes asked questions that pointed to inconsistencies in Sanchez's testimony - including the fact the witness has told several versions of the story since July 12, and that he could not positively identify a shooter. A number of Soltesz's questions to Sanchez pointed to the possibility that Charlie, his client, fired on Platas in self-defense. “There are a lot of questions,” Soltesz said after Monday's hearing.

Contact Aaron Burgin at 784-5000, Ext. 1047, or aburgin@portervillerecorder.com.

This story was published in The Porterville Recorder on Jan. 30, 2007