Wall now free of "stalking" charges

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James Brolin and Barbra Streisand had a bad day Monday. Deputy District Attorney Martin Herscovitz, head of the Malibu office, declined to file a criminal complaint against Wendell Ivar Wall, 28, a photographer and neighbor of the Brolins on Point Dume, who had been arrested over the weekend and initially charged with violation of the Penal Code 646.9 (stalking).

Bail, originally set at $150,000, was raised by the bail commissioner to $1 million, but, after review, the district attorney’s spokesperson said no case would be filed.

“There is lack of evidence of a credible threat, so we’re rejecting the case on the grounds of insufficient evidence,” it was reported. The D.A.’s rejection also indicated Streisand and Brolin were not desirous of prosecution of the case.

The initial police report, immediately following the incident, describes Wall as allegedly following Brolin and his wife frequently and indicates the Brolins felt the situation was getting more and more threatening.

According to the police report, the Brolins left a car dealership in Thousand Oaks, noticed they were being followed and attempted to evade the follower. They exited the freeway at Liberty Canyon and headed for the sheriff’s station. They said the pursuing vehicle turned away. They later saw Wall on PCH and flagged down a patrol car.

Gene Wall, the father of Wendell Wall, who lives with his son near the Brolins, said, in an interview at the City Council meeting Sunday night, his son is a photojournalist and never accosted the Brolins. He charged the Sheriff’s Department was overzealous and had a vendetta against him and his son because of a case several years ago in which he obtained a $600,000-plus judgment against the county because of some improper conduct by the Sheriff’s Department.

Later that day, the City Council continued to Feb. 28 its decision on an appeal of a Planning Commission vote approving a proposed demolition and construction project of the Brolins’ home.