Sports anchor Kyle Kraska was released from La Jolla’s Scripps Memorial Hospital Wednesday, eight days after he was ambushed outside his Scripps Ranch home, colleagues said.
KMFB-TV, Ch. 8, published a statement from Kraska about his gratitude to the community for their support. The statement in part explained what he has endured over the last week:
“After awakening from a four-day medically-induced coma, I have begun the long process of healing… I am happy to report the remarkable news that I was released from the hospital today, and now my fight will continue from home with my family. Thank you for lifting me up on your shoulders when I needed you most. I have been proud to serve you for the past 15 and a half years and look forward to rejoining my KFMB family as soon as I can.”
Kraska, 48, was ambushed in his driveway on Avonette Court shortly after 3 p.m. Feb. 10 and later underwent several surgeries at Scripps, according to police and KFMB.
Meanwhile, the house painter accused of shooting Kraska pleaded not guilty Feb. 17 to premeditated attempted murder in what the prosecutor described as an “ambush.”
Mike Montana, 54, of El Cajon, made his first court appearance since the Feb. 10 shooting of Kraska, shot six times in his Mercedes-Benz outside his Scripps Ranch home. Deputy District Attorney Rebecca Zipp said if Montana is convicted of all the charges and sentencing enhancements, he would face a prison term of 37 years and eight months. Bail was set at $750,000; Zipp had asked it be set at $1 million.
Montana’s attorney, public defender Kevin Milmoe, had asked for $500,000 bail from San Diego Superior Court Judge David Szumowski. Milmoe said Montana had no felony convictions and two misdemeanor convictions.
Zipp said Kraska was shot six times in his car at 3 p.m. Feb. 10 as he attempted to leave the driveway. She said Kraska had hired Montana to paint his house and that there was “a financial dispute” between them.
One of Kraska’s neighbors told KFMB that Kraska hired Montana to paint the house but was dissatisfied with his work and hired another painter to finish it. The neighbor said Kraska paid Montana for his work, but Montana later left “threatening notes” on his door.
Zipp told the judge the shooting was “planned in advance” and Kraska was shot several feet away from Montana. He was wounded in the torso, stomach, chest and leg.
Other former clients of Montana have told TV news stations that they also were dissatisfied with Montana’s work and that he later became threatening in collecting money.
Additionally, Montana pleaded not guilty on an unrelated charge of making a criminal threat to a woman on Nov. 6, 2014, but Zipp told reporters afterward she could not elaborate. The charge of using a gun in a violent crime carries a 25-year penalty, which could be added to a life sentence for attempted murder. A preliminary hearing was set for March 2. Montana remains in the central jail. — Fox 5, Neal Putnam