22: Long Shot

Published: Oct. 24, 2017, 11:22 a.m.

In May 2003, 16-year-old Martha Puebla was shot in the head on the doorstep of her Los Angeles home, days after testifying in a gangland murder trial. Police arrested 24-year-old Juan Catalan at gunpoint, alleging that he\u2019d carried out the hit for his gangster brother Mario.\nNot only did Catalan not commit the crime, but he had an alibi. At the time of Puebla\u2019s cold-blooded killing, he was at Dodger Stadium with his six-year-old daughter. Frustratingly, though, Catalan\u2019s lawyer couldn\u2019t find clear enough TV footage to prove it. \nCatalan faced death row if found guilty at trial. Even worse, the prosecuting attorney was unbeaten in murder cases and nicknamed \u201cSniper\u201d because she liked to pick off defendants with the death penalty. \nThen came the head-spinning twist. It just so happened that an episode of the HBO show \u201cCurb Your Enthusiasm\u201d was also being shot at the ballpark that night. Finding Juan in the episode was the last hope this innocent man\u2019s life.