[Editor’s Note: Here is the latest and most unusual testimony yet that the newspaper has received regarding St. Patrick’s Day stabbing suspect Justin Finizza, who is charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon for an incident behind two well-known bars near the corner of Sepulveda and Jefferson in south Culver City.]
I have known Justin for a long time.
He called my husband on St. Patrick’s night, and I heard him screaming, begging for his life. It sounded as if he was getting beat up by a lot of guys.
He was screaming so loud that I could hear everything he was saying while my husband was on the phone with him.
At one point he told my husband that he needed help because they were trying to kill him.
He told my husband that he was somewhere by the Tattle Tale Room in Culver City, and the phone hung up.
My husband was freaking out. So I took the phone from him. I called Justin back.
But someone else answered and left the phone on. All we could hear was Justin still crying and asking them to stop.
Going to the Scene
We called again. This time no one answered. So I decided to drive to the Tattle Tale Room. I live nearby, so it took us about 5 minutes to get there,
As we were crossing Sepulveda and Jefferson, we saw ambulances and cop cars making a right onto a street where the El Pollo Loco and Yoshinoya were.
I don't know the name of the street,
So we followed, and I spoke to one of the police officers. I explained what happened, how Justin called us and he was begging for his life
But the police officer told us to move back from where we were standing. We had no idea what was going on. And no one would tell us anything.
We waited and waited, but no one wanted to talk to us.
We went back home. I made calls to the hospital and to the police station. But there was no Justin Finizza to be found.
The next morning, I called the Culver City Police Dept. They told me that he was being treated at UCLA.
What I Found
So I drove to UCLA.
When I got there, he looked like he wasn't going to wake up anytime soon.
I called the Culver City police to ask them if I should make some sort of statement to let them know what I heard over the phone.
They said, "I don't think you need to. There were lots of people there anyway."
In other words, what we heard didn't matter.
If you would've seen Justin, it looked like he didn't just get run over. He looked like he was in a stampede or something.
An Honorable Man
My husband and I have known him for so long.
We can't believe the accusations that they have made.
He did nothing but take care of his mother every single day before she died.
He helped so many people out when they needed help.
I honestly don't care if you publish this with my name or you don't publish it.
I just think it's a bunch of bull when people want to talk (badly) about someone but are scared to say who they are.
For all I care, they could be the ones trying to keep him in jail for something he did to save his own life.
