Ontario man must stand trial for asking co-worker to kill ex-girlfriend

Ross testified that she had heard Corlew make outrageous statements about harming Stojsich in the past and hadn't contacted police.

But because of the specific instructions in the text messages from Corlew, she reported the messages to police the day she received them.

Corlew told Ross in the messages to make Stojsich watch her son and alleged boyfriend be shot to death.

He told Ross to kill Stojsich and then carve "BGF" -- or "Black Gorilla Family" -- into Stojsich's stomach to confuse police, Ross testified.

During a police-monitored phone call later that day, Corlew appeared to back off his earlier ideas of having Stojsich killed.

But he did not deny sending the initial messages, Ross testified.

Nancy Stojsich testified that she met Corlew at Lowe's. She said she worked for an outside company but was often on-site at Lowe's.

She said Corlew moved into her Rancho Cucamonga home in May 2007 and lived there until December. Corlew's behavior became increasingly violent while he lived there, and escalated further afterward, Stojsich said.

She testified that Corlew smashed her television with a golf club and spit on her 12-year-old son.

After Corlew had moved out, he entered her home while she was out and left a knife stabbed into her bed -- on the side where she sleeps.

Stojsich got a restraining order against Corlew when his aggression intensified, she said.

On May 1 Corlew came to Stojsich's home pick up some of his belongings. Stojsich and a friend, Richard Thompson, had carried Corlew's possessions into the front yard so he could gather them without interacting with Stojsich.

When Corlew arrived at the house, Stojsich said she and Thompson were still carrying the last of Corlew's possessions to the front yard.

Corlew started yelling at them, asking if Thompson was sleeping with Stojsich and asking if he had moved in. They ignored him and went inside the house, Stojsich said.

Corlew retrieved a golf club from his car and smashed the windshield and driver's side window on Thompson's car, Stojsich and Thompson testified.

Libutti ruled Corlew must stand trial on a felony vandalism charge for the damage to Thompson's car.

Corlew's defense attorney, Hal Smith, said after the hearing that his client, who has bipolar disorder, was off his medication when he tried to arrange the hit, and did not actually want Stojsich killed.

Smith pointed to the physical stature and mental makeup of the would-be hitwoman -- a small-framed, non-violent woman in her early 20s -- as evidence that Corlew was not serious about having his ex-girlfriend killed.

"He's just blowing off hot air," Smith said. "... His crime is having a big mouth."

The prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Ted Smith, said after the hearing that he plans to add two additional counts of solicitation of murder against Corlew due to the threats to Stojsich's son and Thompson.

He also said he is considering adding a criminal charge because when police searched Corlew's hotel room they found bullets. It's a crime for a person subject to a restraining order to possess bullets, Ted Smith said.

The prosecution and defense attorneys discussed a plea bargain before Thursday's hearing that would have included one year of jail time for Corlew.

Ted Smith withdrew the offer after Stojsich said she didn't think it was enough jail time.

"We want prison time," Ted Smith said. "We think this is a prison case."