Ex-Mets OF Lenny Dykstra Not Charged In Stolen Car Case... For Now
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) — Prosecutors have declined to file charges against former Mets outfielder Lenny Dykstra after he was arrested on suspicion of trying to buy a stolen car, authorities said Tuesday.
Prosecutors are asking Los Angeles police for more information in regards to the investigation, said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. It's unknown whether charges could be filed against Dykstra at a later date.
Dykstra, 48, has been in jail since last week awaiting word on whether prosecutors would file charges against him. Federal authorities have taken him into custody on a separate bankruptcy charge.
Dykstra was recently charged with embezzling money from a bankruptcy estate. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. He could be in court as early as Wednesday.
Lenny's brother, Brian Dykstra, told the New York Daily News on Monday that the ex-Mets outfielder has "got to pay for what he did."
"We feel sorry for him, but he's pretty much on his own right now," he said. "We're praying for him."
It wasn't immediately known whether Dykstra had retained an attorney.
Dykstra, who bought a mansion once owned by hockey star Wayne Gretzky, filed for bankruptcy two years ago, claiming he owed more than $31 million and had only $50,000 in assets.
Federal prosecutors said that after filing, Dykstra hid, sold or destroyed more than $400,000 worth of items from the $18.5 million mansion without permission of a bankruptcy trustee.
Dykstra spent 12 years in the big leagues and helped the Mets to the World Series championship in 1986. He was a three-time All-Star in the 1990s while with the Phillies.
How do you feel about Dykstra? Sound off in the comments below...
(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
