Judge Rules Teen’s Alleged Harassment Not a Felony

A judge Tuesday threw out felony charges against a Simi Valley teenager accused of harassing a former boyfriend, ruling that the egg-throwing, car-scratching allegations amounted to a handful of misdemeanors.

Carolyn Grill, 18, will answer charges in Municipal Court today that she harassed a Moorpark teen whom she had briefly dated, damaging his car and threatening his family. She has pleaded not guilty.

Judge John R. Smiley ruled that Grill, a senior at Royal High School in Simi Valley, should face misdemeanor charges of vandalism and making annoying or threatening telephone calls.

Prosecutors had tried to make a case that Grill’s alleged actions were intended to scare her former boyfriend away from testifying against her in another set of harassment charges.

But the judge said that throwing eggs at her former boyfriend’s car and scratching an obscenity into another car owned by the boy’s mother do not constitute felony witness intimidation.

“I think this is retribution,” Smiley said after an hourlong preliminary hearing. “She wasn’t going there to stop them from going to the police again.”

Grill was arrested March 13 on suspicion of misdemeanor vandalism and making threats to the family of Richard Hart, an 18-year-old Moorpark High School senior who told investigators that Grill had been harassing him.

She spent one night in custody, and then allegedly went to Moorpark and vandalized Hart’s car and his mother’s car.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Kathleen La Salle argued that the vandalism amounted to intimidation and that the teenager should be prosecuted on two felony counts.

“The continuing course of conduct is serious,” La Salle said outside the courtroom. “We charged what we believe happened, but the judge obviously disagreed.”

Deputy Public Defender Neil Quinn was pleased that the felony charges were dropped. He said Grill knows that what she did was wrong, but that she does not deserve up to four years in state prison for her behavior.

“This whole case is about some high school-type pranks that kids do,” he said. “It’s wrong, and I think she understands that.”

According to investigators, Grill is an obsessed teenager who refused to cease contacting Hart after he rejected her advances.

Shebegan calling the Harts as often as four or fives times a day, even ordering pizzas and plumbers to the Moorpark home, investigators said.

When the Hart family finally alerted police to the calls, which by early spring stretched back five months, Grill became angry that she was arrested and launched a campaign of retaliation and intimidation, investigators said.

“Carolyn had told him to watch out, otherwise his car would be egged,” Deputy Ronald Nelson testified.

“She was angry with the Harts,” La Salle added. “Anybody in that position would certainly perceive that as a threat.”

Grill’s mother disagrees. She maintained that Hart was constantly calling their home and blamed the vandalism on other students.

Although the felony charges have been dismissed, the teenage suspect still faces four misdemeanor counts.

Grill will face three charges of vandalism and one count of making annoying telephone calls at today’s arraignment. She remains at Ventura County Jail because the judge refused to lower her $25,000 bail.

“The prospect of having Miss Grill out of custody is absolutely terrifying to some members of the community,” Smiley said.