A jury acquitted a National City man June 5 of attempted murder and attempted manslaughter over the splashing of gasoline on a woman at Fiesta Island.
The seven man, five woman jury deliberated five hours over two days before also acquitting Myles Edward Chapin, 46, of assault with a deadly weapon—which was gasoline—that may have splashed onto Rhonda Chittenden in a July 12, 2018 incident.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Robert Trentacosta ordered Chapin released from jail where he had been on $1 million bail since the incident.
Jurors afterwards said they were not convinced that gasoline was ever spilled on Chittenden, with one juror saying “her story kept changing.”
“It was a ‘she said, he said’ circumstantial,” said a female juror. “I didn’t have absolute proof.”
Chapin acknowledged in his testimony that he poured gasoline over himself in the 4 p.m. incident, but denied spilling any on Chittenden.
“I don’t threaten women. Rhonda was my friend,” testified Chapin. “I was bluffing, attempting to draw…sympathy from my friend.”
I doused myself pretty thoroughly,” said Chapin. “If that had lit, I would have lit up like a Roman candle.”
Chapin said he instantly regretted splashing himself with gasoline, as it got onto one of his eyes and he dashed towards the water to rinse it out. He said he did take out two lighters, but put them back in his pocket, saying “I did not want to die like that.”
“I did not put any gas on her. She was five feet from me,” said Chapin. “She was demanding the money I owed her.”
“The (prosecuton) accepts the jury’s verdict,” said Deputy District Attorney Matthew Greco afterwards. “The jury spoke.”
