Trial Postponed in Truck Assault Case

A Superior Court judge Friday postponed the trial of a Moorpark man who was charged with trying to run down a city code-enforcement officer with his pickup truck.

Judge Charles McGrath set Gerald Goldstein’s trial for Jan. 29. The 65-year-old resident is accused of assault with a deadly weapon for the September incident.

McGrath delayed the trial so Goldstein’s attorney, Louis Samonsky, could further evaluate the case against his client, Samonsky said.

He would not comment on the evaluation process. But during Goldstein’s arraignment in November, Samonsky said he wanted to have a mental assessment done on his client.

Before his arrest, Goldstein was a fixture at Moorpark City Council meetings, known for his sometimes humorous and biting criticism of council members.

He lived in a mobile home that was so cluttered, he was forced to sleep in his truck.

The day of the incident, city code-enforcement Officer Mario Riley and two sheriff’s deputies came to force Goldstein to clean up his property.

They were joined by a psychologist who was then in charge of a trust fund set up by Goldstein’s mother to care for him.

While Riley talked with deputies, Goldstein started his truck, revved the engine and sped at Riley, forcing him to jump out of the way, according to prosecutors.

Goldstein then spun his truck around and headed back at Riley, but stopped when the deputies drew their handguns, the officers reported.

Samonsky said the truck’s accelerator might have stuck. But tests have not been completed.