Murder suspect was ‘scared to death’

Greg Risling

NEWPORT BEACH -- A family friend of a woman who allegedly ran over and

killed her husband in a Newport Beach intersection Wednesday morning said

the woman was trying to break free from a troubled marriage.

Leslie VanHouten, 40, was formally charged with murdering her husband,

Kenneth, in a Harbor Justice Center courtroom Friday.

But Richard Butterfield, who has known the couple for more than 20 years,

said their marriage was having severe problems and that Leslie VanHouten

feared for her life.

“The relationship was constantly in turmoil,” said Butterfield, a pastor

at a church in Norwalk. “She was scared to death. She can’t even remember

the phone numbers of her friends.”

VanHouten appeared frightened as the judge informed her of the murder

charges filed against her. She was soft-spoken and scanned the courtroom

for friends and family. Her arraignment was continued until Feb. 18 and

she will remain in Orange County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Police said the couple were embroiled in a fight Wednesday morning over

who would use the car. VanHouten drove to a street near Hoag Hospital,

where she reportedly planned to hide the car. While she was looking for a

parking spot, she saw her husband on a bike and that’s when police say

she ran him down with their 1993 Geo Storm.

VanHouten allegedly put the car in reverse and ran over his body lying in

the street before driving away. Kenneth VanHouten was pronounced dead at

the scene.

Deputy Public Defender Lewis Clapp, who represented Leslie VanHouten,

said the incident went much deeper than simply an argument over the

couple’s car. Clapp declined further comment.

However, Butterfield claimed Kenneth VanHouten was abusive to his wife

and agreed that their relationship has been misconstrued to this point by

authorities and the media.

Both prosecutors and friends claim restraining orders were filed by both

Leslie VanHouten and her husband, but the court documents did little to

keep them apart. The couple were living together for the past several

months leading to Wednesday’s incident.

“We know they were having marital problems and talked about divorce,”

said Tori Richards, spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney’s

office.

The couple’s three children, all of whom are teenagers, have been placed

in protective custody until other family members are contacted.

Butterfield said the couple had attempted to resolve their problems in

the past, but their relationship reverted to arguments.

“She’s wasn’t out to kill anybody,” he said. “There was never anything

intentional about this. Things sometimes get misunderstood.”