CREW CAME TO DEPUTY'S BACKUP FOUR ARE HONORED FOR AIDING OFFICER.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

LANCASTER - Four Lancaster public works employees have been honored for coming to the aid of a sheriff's deputy and helping defuse a potentially deadly situation.

Workers Gary McDonald, Ronnie Martinez, Jack Ballante, and John Delamonte helped Deputy Gregory Chatman take into custody five men, including a teenager who struggled with the deputy and was found later to be carrying a handgun in his pants pocket.

``These four guys are heroes.'' said Councilman Ed Sileo. ``They saw a situation about to go bad in a big way and reacted without thought to their own safety. The fact that all four of these guys work for the city of Lancaster makes me proud - but let's not forget the deputy who puts his life on the line every day either.''

The incident occurred on the morning of Aug. 17 at Avenue J-8 and 10th Street West, where the four workers were striping traffic lanes. Martinez and Ballante were in a road-striping vehicle with McDonald driving a half-ton truck behind them, and Delamonte bringing up the rear in a two-ton truck.

The work crew spotted the men shooting dice in the street and were about to report it when Deputy Gregory Chatman arrived.

Chatman ordered the men to stand against a car. Four of the men complied, but a fifth, later identified as Stewart McGlon, 18, of Palmdale, started to walk away.

Chatman tried to bring McGlon back, but he twisted out of the deputy's grasp. Seeing the struggle begin, the work crew came to Chatman's aid.

``He (Chatman) was constantly trying to watch the other four,'' Martinez said. ``That's the whole reason we got involved.''

McDonald drove his truck in front of the deputy and got out. After telling Chatman he was there to help him, McDonald grabbed McGlon below the waist while the deputy went for his torso.

The two men lifted McGlon up and then laid him down.

``It was the perfect WWF (World Wrestling Federation) move,'' Martinez said.

During the struggle, McGlon called to the other men to help him, but Martinez and Ballante positioned themselves between McGlon and the four others. Delamonte described his role as being a witness.

During the struggle, McGlon attempted to reach into his pocket, according to authorities. McDonald said he felt a hard object during the struggle, but thought it was a cell phone. It turned out to be a loaded handgun.

``Seeing the gun was freaky,'' Ballante said. ``I'm glad everybody is safe and no one got capped (shot).''

McGlon later told deputies he was reaching for the gun, but only to get rid of it. Not a smart move, said Lt. Gordon Carn of the Lancaster sheriff's station.

``If the deputy had seen it, he won't have had any choice but to shoot,'' Carn said.

When the handgun was discovered, Chatman called for backup and seconds later, additional deputies arrived at the scene.

``We went back to work,'' McDonald said. ``We didn't think it was a big deal.''

They didn't realize what a big deal it was until they started receiving accolades for their actions, including commendations from Sheriff Lee Baca and Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. In his commendation, Baca said the men ``changed the balance of a potentially deadly situation.''

McGlon has been charged with obstructing or resisting a peace officer, a felony, records show. McGlon is also being held in county jail without bail on a warrant for an unrelated burglary case.

Jim Skeen, [phone]

james.skeen(at)dailynews.com