A Kern County jury has found a man not guilty in a vandalism case that dragged on for nearly four years.

Gary Hatler was acquitted Tuesday just 20 minutes after jurors got the case.

He was accused of damaging his ex-girlfriend’s truck in 2020.

The public defender’s office managed to have the charge reduced to a misdemeanor.

A second charge was dropped due to a lack of evidence.

The office says the fast verdict shows the case should never have gone to trial.