Heart trouble in the O.J. courtroom

[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/09/15/art.oj.fromong.jpg caption="Prosecution witness Bruce Fromong is helped out of the courtroom after complaining of chest pains."]
Editor’s Note: O.J. Simpson is on trial for robbery and kidnapping charges nearly a year after police arrested him in Las Vegas, Nevada. Prosecutors say Simpson and five other men stormed into a Las Vegas hotel room last September 13 to recover sports memorabilia that Simpson said belonged to him. They say at least two men with Simpson had guns as they robbed two sports memorabilia dealers. The following dispatches come from our Paul Vercammen covering the trial.

Paul Vercammen
CNN Senior Producer

5:14pm PT

One of the prosecution's star witnesses in the O.J. Simpson kidnapping and armed robbery trial was suddenly excused from testimony as he rubbed his chest.

Sports memorabilia dealer Bruce Fromong, who testified before he suffered four heart attacks, was being cross examined by the defense when he suggested he was ill, suddenly halting the trial.

Judge Jackie Glass called a break and the 54-year-old Fromong went outside the courtroom, sat down and was tended to by his wife and court officers.

Fromong was the first witness for the prosecution and is considered a key to the trial because the other alleged victim in the case, Alfred Beardsley. has said he thinks Simpson did nothing wrong.

5:36pm PT

Court Spokesman Michael Sommermeyer said key prosecution witness Bruce Fromong walked out of the Regional Justice Center without any assistance.

Fromong's testimony halted under cross examination from Simpson's defense lawyer Gabe Grasso when the first prosecution witness seemed to be suffering from chest pains.