People v. Ward CA3

BACKGROUND

Douglas Bennett lived in a large house in Pilot Hill that was known as a “flophouse” because people would stay there and use drugs. Hilary Estrada, Angel Ashbey, and Heather Stevens were living at the house with Bennett. In March 2012, Megan Patterson and her two children also stayed at Bennett’s home. Patterson told

1 Bennett she was in an abusive relationship. Patterson left the house after about two weeks, but left her belongings behind. Max Kurtz was Patterson’s ex-boyfriend. On April 24, 2012, Kurtz came to Bennett’s home and confronted Bennett about Megan Patterson. He was upset that Patterson and her children were no longer at the house, and told Bennett he wanted to pick up Patterson’s belongings. Bennett felt Kurtz was blaming him for Patterson leaving Kurtz and taking the children away from him. Bennett asked Estrada, Ashbey, and Stevens to gather up Patterson’s belongings and invited Kurtz to look around the house. Bennett felt uncomfortable, so he left the area. Ashbey found Patterson’s belongings and gave them to Kurtz. Stevens walked Kurtz around the house looking for any items belonging to Kurtz’s children. While walking around the property, Kurtz saw…