H.B. man sentenced in inmate’s death

A Santa Ana man was sentenced last week to 20 years in prison for beating to death a fellow inmate believed to be a child molester with eight other inmates, including a Huntington Beach man.

Michael Stewart Garten, 25, pleaded guilty to felony voluntary manslaughter and will face 20 years in state prison, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

Garten is one of nine inmates charged in the death of fellow inmate John Chamberlain in 2006.

Eric Charles Miller, 25, of Huntington Beach, is also charged with felony murder and is expected to begin a pre-trial hearing July 15 at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.

Garrett Eugene Aguilar, 28, of Anaheim; Stephen Paul Carlstrom, 42, of Anaheim; Jeremy Dezso Culmann, 27, of Corona; Miguel Angel Guillen, 48, of Santa Ana; Jared Louis Petrovich, 26, of Tustin; Christopher Teague, 34, of Long Beach; and Raul Villafana, 24, of Santa Ana are all facing felony murder charges and are expected to begin trial Feb. 18 at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.

Miller and the other defendants all face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison if convicted.

Chamberlain was in custody Oct. 5, 2006, at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange for possession of child pornography when he was surrounded by nine men in a cell.

The men reportedly believed Chamberlain was a child molester and allegedly punched, kicked and stomped him to death.

—Britney Barnes