Dennis RomeroThe $1 million reward for the capture and conviction of Christopher Dorner went to four people, including a couple that was tied up in their cabin by Dorner (James and Karen Reynolds will get 80 percent), the ski resort employee who spotted his burning truck in the mountains, and a Corona tow-truck driver who spotted the suspect in Riverside County.
Missing from that list was Richard Heltebrake, whose story was almost as scary as that of the tied-up couple:
On Feb. 12, the day of the final shootout with Dorner, Heltebrake had his truck taken at gunpoint by the suspect.
While cops were, at that time, on the hunt for Dorner and aware he was in the Big Bear area, Heltebrake argues that it was his quick call to the local sheriff that pointed them in the right direction.
Dorner holed up in a nearby cabin and the rest is history.
Credit: Ted Soqui for LA Weekly
Heltebrake's lawyer told Fox 11 News last night that the reward decision by three judges would be challenged and that he would seek an injunction that would prevent payment until the matter is settled.
The first installment payment of the reward money was scheduled for Friday.
The victim's laywer, Allen Thomas, told the station that on Feb. 12 his client “called the resident deputy sheriff at 12:40 p.m., which is 12 minutes before the judges' claim that” Dorner's car was located on Glass Road.
Thomas says that call led the first deputy to the cabin where Dorner would shoot it out with cops before taking his own life.
Heltebrake himself told the station that he was “surprised” by the reward decision.
“I can still sue,” he said. “It's not over yet.”
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