Slain Man Had Been in Witness Protection Program

A man gunned down in his driveway had been placed in a witness protection program after receiving death threats for his anticipated testimony in a Van Nuys trial, authorities said Friday.

James Navaroli, 36, was expected to testify against a man accused of three commercial burglaries in the west San Fernando Valley, police said.

Police had relocated Navaroli to an apartment outside his neighborhood after he received death threats, Det. Rick Swanston said. But about three weeks ago, he ignored the advice of detectives and, without warning, moved back to his home on Ingomar Street in the West Valley, an area where the burglary suspect also lives, Swanston said.

“The detectives went to get him for court, and he was gone,” Swanston said. “We couldn’t find him.”

The burglary defendant, who is free on bail, has not been named as a suspect in the shooting, but police said they consider Navaroli’s testimony in the upcoming case a potential motive.

“It’s a sensitive stage of the investigation,” Swanston said.

Authorities declined to identify the defendant. But one prosecutor said he had no prior convictions for violent crimes, and that he faces a maximum sentence of about four years in prison if convicted of burglary.

Navaroli and his girlfriend of five years were shot about 10:45 p.m. Wednesday as they stepped from their pickup truck. Their assailant apparently had been waiting for them, police said.

Navaroli was shot in the head and upper torso and died at the scene. His girlfriend, whose name is being withheld for her protection, was hit several times in the upper torso, but is expected to survive.

Although unable to speak, she indicated that the attacker was a lone gunman. She also provided detectives with a possible motive in the attack, but police declined to reveal it.

Last month, another witness in a case in Superior Court in Van Nuys was slain.

Dong Dinh of San Jose was shot to death Oct. 23 in apparent retaliation for his son’s testimony against members of the Asian Boyz street gang. In that case, which remains unsolved, Dinh’s family blamed Los Angeles authorities for not warning them that Truong Dinh’s testimony against his former fellow gang members may have represented a threat to the family.

But Elmo Navaroli did not blame police for his son’s killing.

“He was advised by the police to stay away from the West Valley,” the elder Navaroli said. “He didn’t follow through with that, and that was his own decision.”