Police Officer Says Girlfriend Implicated Beauregard

SAN BERNARDINO —  A police officer who interviewed Dunyella Smith shortly after she was shot in the hip last year testified Tuesday that Smith immediately identified the trigger man as Jonathan Beauregard, her former boyfriend and the father of her child.

Beauregard, 23, was a starting guard for the Cal State Northridge football team at the time. He is charged with two counts of attempted murder and is being tried in San Bernardino Superior Court for allegedly shooting Smith and her male companion outside a San Bernardino bar.

Officer Clayton Zeigler of the San Bernardino Police Department testified that Smith provided specific details while describing the incident that took place Aug. 29, 1994. He said Smith gave a physical description of the shooter and said his name was Jonathan Beauregard on at least two occasions. She also referred to Beauregard as her child’s father, Zeigler said.

“She told me he was upset over their breakup and he was never able to let go of the relationship,” Zeigler testified.

Another prosecution witness, Michael Babb, testified that he saw Beauregard punch Smith on April 2, 1994, outside the same bar.

Babb, an Indio police officer, was an armed security guard at the Elks Lodge when the incident took place. After a heated argument in the parking lot, Babb said, Beauregard punched Smith.

In her testimony last week, Smith denied that Beauregard punched her and said she called police that night because, “I was mad he embarrassed me.”

The prosecution rested its case Tuesday after nine witnesses.

Beauregard’s mother, Michelle Beauregard, was the first to take the stand for the defense. She testified that her son was home in bed when the shootings took place at about 1:30 a.m.

She said Beauregard and Smith went shopping together the day of the shooting and acknowledged that they fought often.

“They argued, but 10 seconds later they [were] back together,” she said.

Beauregard is scheduled to take the stand this morning. Closing arguments are expected to be completed by day’s end.

If convicted, Beauregard faces a sentence of five years to life in prison.