Mike Montana, an El Cajon house painter, was ordered June 3 to stand trial for pre-meditated attempted murder of KFMB-TV (Channel 8) sportscaster Kyle Kraska who was shot six times Feb. 10 following a dispute with Montana over his work.
Kraska, 48, who initially was in a 6-day medically induced coma after the Feb. 10 shootings, was the star witness in the 2-day preliminary hearing of Montana, 54. Kraska is back on the air at CBS.
Mike Montana, an El Cajon house painter, was ordered June 3 to stand trial for pre-meditated attempted murder of KFMB-TV (Channel 8) sportscaster Kyle Kraska who was shot six times Feb. 10 following a dispute with Montana over his work.
Kraska, 48, who initially was in a 6-day medically induced coma after the Feb. 10 shootings, was the star witness in the 2-day preliminary hearing of Montana, 54. Kraska is back on the air at CBS.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Michael Smyth set trial for Nov. 2. Smyth also ordered Montana to stand trial for making two criminal death threats to a Department of Motor Vehicles employee and the manager of the San Diego Rowing Club.
If convicted, Montana faces a life term in prison for attempted murder plus 25 years for using a firearm in a violent crime. He pleaded not guilty at the end of the hearing and remains in jail on $750,000 bail.
Kraska told Smyth he hired Montana to paint the outside of his home and initially paid him $800 for supplies upfront in Oct. 2014. The remaining $2,200 would be paid when the job was finished, but Montana quit after painting the street side of the Scripps Ranch residence.
Kraska testified Montana initially emptied out the contents of his van into his back yard, which included old clothing, shoes, and “very dirty” drop cloths that stained some patio furniture. The grass died underneath a power washer that Montana had placed on the lawn due to chemicals spilling, said Kraska.
Montana accidently spray-painted some of the patio, which he told Kraska he would later fix. “The professionalism seemed to be lacking,” said Kraska.
Montana kept asking for more money and Kraska refused, asking to see receipts that would show he had spent $800 in expenses, which Montana did not have. Montana quit when Kraska would not give him more money and he later demanded the full payment of $2,200.
On Feb. 10, Kraska was backing his silver Mercedes out of his garage around 3:30 p.m. and noticed Montana had parked his white van partly blocking the driveway. Montana walked up to him and said, “You should have paid me the $2,200” and then fired shots at the car.
“When I see the shots go through the hood, I realized I was in terrible danger. He then pointed the gun at me, said Kraska. “I heard gunshots, glass (shattering), and complete chaos.”
After Kraska said, “You shot me,” to Montana, the shooting stopped and he saw Montana’s van drive away. “I had multiple holes in me. I was bleeding badly,” said Kraska, who said he reached for his cell phone in his rear pocket, but discovered a bullet had destroyed it.
Kraska testified he crawled 50-60 feet outside and an off duty police sergeant and neighbor administered first aid. Kraska said when the officer asked him who shot him, Kraska replied “Mike Montana.”
Also testifying was a Department of Motor Vehicle worker who said she still fears Montana after he threatened to kill her with a machine gun.
Montana’s attorney, Richard Jayakumar, unsuccessfully urged the judge not to order his client to stand trial for the pre-meditation allegation, saying the “the shots are all over the vehicle” and not at Kraska.
Some El Cajon residents who heard media description of Montana’s van called police after seeing it. Montana surrendered following a SWAT standoff.
