Hollywood tells his side of killing

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., June 23 (UPI) -- Jesse "James" Hollywood took the stand in Santa Barbara, Calif., for the second day Tuesday, telling his version of the killing of a 15-year-old boy.

Hollywood denies ordering the fatal shooting and said the kidnapping and later slaying of Nicholas Markowitz in 2000 was not planned, KEYT3, Santa Barbara, reported.

The defendant testified Markowitz's older half-brother owed him money for drugs and threatened Hollywood if he tried to collect, the TV station said. Hollywood told the court he only wanted to threaten Markowitz, but his associates assaulted the teenager and threw him into a van.

Both sides say Hollywood was not present at the killing. Officials allege Hollywood kidnapped and later ordered the murder of the teenager because of the $1,200 drug debt, the Santa Barbara Independent reported. Hollywood's lawyers argue he was not present when the teen was killed, had not wanted the killing and his close friend Ryan Hoyt fired the weapon.

Four of Hollywood's associates have been sentenced in the case, including Hoyt, who has been sentenced to death.

Prosecutors are expected to cross examine Hollywood.

The case was the subject of the movie "Alpha Dog," released in 2007.