A Chula Vista cardiologist identified his former neighbor in court Aug. 23 as the man who beat him repeatedly in his garage, tied his hands, and attempted to steal his car after trying to strangle him.
Dr. Hassan Kafri, 48, testified over two hours in the preliminary hearing of Robert “Trey” Whitaker, 57, who was ordered to stand trial on six counts including torture, assault with a deadly weapon, and two kidnapping charges.
The kidnapping charges allege that Whitaker tried to kidnap Kafri for robbery and for purposes of extortion. He is also charged with burglary, and attempted to dissuade a witness by stealing two phones from Kafri.
The incident took place June 12 in Kafri’s garage around 9:14 a.m. when Whitaker lived next door to him in La Jolla. Whitaker, a construction contractor, remains in jail without bail.
Kafri has offices in Chula Vista and San Diego, and worked at three hospitals before the incident. He suffered a broken wrist, a broken nose, dental injuries and other fractures in the incident with his neighbor.
On June 12, Kafri said he got a text message from Whitaker about constructing a fence. Kafri said he met Whitaker in the driveway and he recalled Whitaker asking him if he liked his Tesla vehicle in his garage.
Suddenly, Whitaker wrapped his arm around Kafri’s neck, and “grabbed me in a chokehold,” said Kafri.
“I couldn’t breathe. I started getting strangulated,” said Kafri, who said he punched him. “I was trying to force him to let go the chokehold.”
The cardiologist testified Whitaker struck him 30 times in the face with a wooden tool. Kafri said he fell to the ground and Whitaker “continued to hit me” with his fists.
“You have to do what I say. Now we’re going down to your house. I’m sure you have some cool money there,” Kafri quoted Whitaker as telling him.
“I (thought) he was going to kill me there,” said Kafri, who said he was determined not to open the door leading to his house.
“I had a lot of blood around my eyes. He did try to strangle me again one more time while I was on the floor,” said Kafri.
Kafri said he tried to grab his phone and a phone on his watch, but Whitaker took them away before closing the garage door. Kafri said he heard someone outside yelling at Whitaker to stop beating him.
“We have a change of plans. Now we have to get you into your car,” Kafri quoted Whitaker as saying.
Kafri said Whitaker tied both wrists with zip ties and put him in the back seat of the Tesla. Whitaker was unable to start the car or move it.
Kafri said he offered to say he was injured in a mountain bike accident and not tell anyone of the incident with Whitaker, whom he said then called 911.
Whitaker cut off the bloody zip ties before police arrived, and those were recovered in the garage by investigators.
Kafri said he was hospitalized for 3 1/2 days and needed 18 stitches to his face and head to close wounds. He is still undergoing treatment.
Deputy District Attorney Kristie Nikoletich told San Diego Superior Court Judge Yvonne Campos that Whitaker had money problems and “his world is crumbling around him” when he attacked his neighbor.
Nikoletich said Kafri was moved 12 feet from his driveway into his garage and that constituted kidnapping.
Whitaker’s attorney, Vic Monder, told the judge he was surprised to hear allegations about Whitaker demanding money, saying he was fully employed.
Monder asked for dismissal of the torture and kidnapping charges, which the judge declined to do.
Whitaker has pleaded not guilty. He will next appear in court on Sept. 9.
