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Fifth Man Charged In Death Of Surfer

POSTED: 6:40 pm PDT September 4, 2007
UPDATED: 6:48 pm PDT September 4, 2007

A fifth man was charged Tuesday with the murder of a professional surfer in La Jolla, and additional charges were added against four other young men previously accused in the beating death.

A warrant was issued Tuesday for the arrest of 21-year-old Henri Quinn-William Hendricks, said Deputy District Attorney Sophia Roach.

In addition to the murder charge stemming from the death of 24-year-old Emery Kauanui, Hendricks is charged with three assault counts stemming from separate alleged attacks and also faces gang allegations, she said.

Multiple assault charges and gang allegations were added against Seth Cravens, 21, Eric House, 20, Matthew Yanke, 21, and Orlando Osuna, 22, who were charged on May 31 with Kauanui's murder, according to the prosecutor.

The added charges against the four stem from several unrelated assaults over the past few years, Roach said outside court.

The prosecutor would not elaborate on the incidents that led to the additional charges.

All of the defendants face up to 15 years to life in state prison if convicted, she said.

The prosecution alleges the defendants -- self-described members of a hard-partying "crew" known as the Bird Rock Bandits -- attacked Kauanui outside his mother's home about 1:30 a.m. on May 24.

Kauanui, who suffered a skull fracture, died five days later from brain injuries.

At the four original defendants' May 31 arraignment, prosecutor Genaro Ramirez alleged Cravens -- who he called "an explosive individual" delivered the fatal blow to Kauanui. He also alleged that the defendant had been known to batter males and females alike.

Investigators said the attack on Kauanui was precipitated by a drink-spilling incident at the Brew House in La Jolla.

The victim spilled a drink on House and was later driven home by his girlfriend. Cravens, Osuna, House and Yanke allegedly followed, and House was encouraged to fight Kauanui.

During the fight, Cravens allegedly sucker-punched the victim, knocking him to the ground.

Hendricks was not originally identified as a suspect. But the day after the victim died, he came forward and told police he was at the fight scene, according to an affidavit filed in support of a search warrant.

Prosecutors filed a dozen felony counts of assault, battery, dissuading a witness and making a threat against Cravens in connection with alleged attacks between July 2005 and May 9 of this year.

Osuna faces six felony counts of assault and battery dating back to 2005, while House faces an additional assault count and Yanke is charged with two counts each of assault and battery for alleged attacks dating back to December 2006.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 29. Superior Court Judge John Einhorn set a bail review/status conference for Sept. 14.

According to a search warrant affidavit, officers found a notebook full of "Bird Rock Bandit" symbols depicting wounded warriors tattooed with "BRB" and Nazi symbols, such as lightning bolts and swastikas, during the search of Cravens' bedroom.

The search also yielded a "Support Your Local Hells Angels DAGO" bumper sticker posted on a shelved box, according to the document.

San Diego police Detective Sandi Oplinger prepared the affidavit, in which she states that the Dago Mob is a brand used on merchandise manufactured and distributed by the Hells Angels.

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