Retired Main League Baseball participant Royce Clayton was arrested early Sunday on suspicion of driving beneath the affect, in accordance with reserving data.
Clayton, a former shortstop and current baseball coach at Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, was just lately caught up within the drama surrounding Hidden Hills socialite Rebecca Grossman, who’s charged with homicide within the deaths of two younger boys in a Westlake Village crosswalk.
He testified at her trial that he drank margaritas with Grossman and her then-lover, former Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson, in September 2020 earlier than the pair went on to drive via the crosswalk the place Mark and Jacob Iskander, ages 11 and eight, had been struck and killed.
Clayton was taken into custody Sunday shortly earlier than 12:30 a.m. by Ventura County sheriff’s deputies. He was booked on suspicion of driving beneath the affect at 2:55 a.m. cited and launched, reserving data present.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Workplace didn’t establish the particular person arrested as the previous participant, however his reserving date of beginning matches that of Clayton, data present. A information launch a few DUI operation in Thousand Oaks on Saturday night time to Sunday morning recognized Clayton as one in every of two folks arrested. The checkpoints had been operated from 6 to 11 p.m at Hampshire Highway and Evenstar Avenue and from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Westlake Boulevard and Cascade Avenue.
Each places are a few miles from the place L.A. County prosecutors allege Grossman struck and killed the boys on Triunfo Canyon Highway.
Clayton couldn’t instantly be reached for remark. Oaks Christian stated they don’t touch upon worker issues.
Clayton was one of the first witnesses in Grossman’s trial. He advised jurors on Jan. 29 that he had had wine with Erickson on the Stonehaus vineyard in Westlake Village after which met up later with Erickson and Grossman at Julio’s Agave Grill. He testified that Grossman drank a margarita and Erickson a few margaritas earlier than the group determined to go watch a presidential debate at Grossman’s Westlake Village residence.
Clayton stated, nonetheless, he by no means drove to her residence. The baseball coach testified that he realized of the deadly collision after talking with Erickson by telephone a couple of hours later.
Grossman’s lead protection lawyer, Tony Buzbee, has repeatedly advised jurors that Erickson is answerable for the deaths of the Iskander brothers. He has stated that the retired baseball participant’s black Mercedes sped via the intersection first, hitting Jacob after which Mark, whose physique was thrown excessive into the air earlier than touchdown within the path of Grossman’s white Mercedes.
On the witness stand final month, Clayton was requested by Buzbee whether or not he was nonetheless buddies with Erickson, who has denied any wrongdoing. Clayton stated he was not.
“I’ve children,” Clayton stated. “I simply don’t perceive how he may very well be so negligent and be answerable for operating down children.”
Just a few days later, Clayton requested prosecutors to return to the witness stand to make clear for jurors he was not saying Erickson hit the boys. The request was denied and the shortstop left the courthouse expressing disgust over the choice.
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