From: mike@gordian.com (Michael A. Thomas)
Subject: Bashing in Laguna Beach
Organization: Gordian; Costa Mesa, CA
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1993 04:21:45 GMT

  This is lifted from the LA Times. This is an area that I frequent
often and as such it really strikes home with anger and sadness.
Mostly anger. In fact I know most of the people involved from
the "good guys" side. There is a candle light vigil this Friday
if any la-motsseur's are interested in attending.
  More as these miscreants trials' proceed.
---

Police Arrest 2 Others in Laguna Beating

  Laguna Beach - Laguna Beach police arrested two additional
suspects Monday in what they described as a brutal gay bashing and
also released the identity of the victim -- a 55 year-old
Vietnamese immigrant. Christopher Michael Cribbins, 22, of San Clemente,
was arrested on suspicion of "assault with force to do great bodily
harm" and violating the city's hate crime law, police said. He is a clerk
at a leather and suede store in MIssion Viejo.
  Also arrested was a 16-year-old San Clemente Police Explorer on
suspicion of obstructing the Laguna Beach investigation after he
allegedly "lied numerous times" to authorities about the beating,
said Police Chief Neil J. Purcell Jr.
  Laguna Beach official may additional charges against the youth -
including a hate crime violation - because he allegedly drove
the car to the beating site looking for gays, Purcell said.
  The victim was identified Monday as Loc Minh Truong, 55, of
Costa Mesa. He is in serious condition Monday evening at Mission 
Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo. 
  Hospital officials said Truong suffered fractures to his face and
skull. His face is so badly swollen that his sister Ly Truong could
barely recognize him Monday morning, according to Edit Truong, a
relative.
  Family members said Monday that Truong - a 5-foot-6, 120-bound man 
who emigrated from Saigon 14 years ago - is a fragile caring person
who was laid off last year from his job as an electronics assembler.
  Edit Truong, the wife of the victim's nephew, said Loc Minh Truong
is not gay but "even if he was, that doesn't mean he's a horrible
person. He's like an angel. He wouldn't hurt a fly... He is the most
gentle, affectionate man you ever met."
  Purcell said those arrested allegedly confronted the victim about
1:30 am Saturday on a stretch of beach that is near three gay bars.
He said Truong did not provoke the attack.
  In custody since shortly after the incident is Jess Michael Raines, 
18, of San Juan Capistrano, who is being held on suspicion of attempted
murder and a hate crime.
   Police on Monday described Raines as the "main principal" behind
the beating.
  Raines' Orange attorney, Fredrick McBride, said "it's too early
for anyone, and I mean anyone, to know what happened here." 
  According to Purcell, the three arrested suspects confronted
Truong on the beach, then said: "You... faggot... we're going
to get you."
  Purcell said the 16-year-old who was arrested "turned and ran
back toward his car" after the remarks were allegedly  made and did 
not participate in the beating.
  Cribbins allegedly pushed Truong down onto a rocky shelf of beach
and then Raines - a 6-foot-1 200-pound ex-football player at San
Clemente High School - allegedly "stomped" on his head so many times
that investigators could not determine his race until a day after
the incident, Purcell said.
  Bypassers said someone went down to the beach and found Truong's
near lifeless body and police were called. Witnesses gave police a
license plate and description of the suspects' car, [a waiter
at the Shrimp -- way to go Steve!] which was stopped shortly thereafter
on Coast Highway.
  Cribbins' mother, Jeannie, reached at her Yorba Linda home, said
Monday that her son "didn't do anything". He was just there with
his friends. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
[Yeah right. I guess faggots don't count as "anything". Fuck you.]
  Cribbins was being held Monday evening at Orange County Jail on
$10,000 bail, authorities said.
  The juvenile, who lives in San Juan Capistrano, was released to
his parents Monday.
  Raines, in Orange County Jail on $250,000 bail, is set to be
arraigned this morning, according to Deputy Dist. Atty. Craig
McKinnon.
  McBride, Raines' attorney, said people should not be so quick
to judge his client as a gay basher.
  "From what I know so far, these allegations are completely
inconsistent with Raines' character and his past behavior" said
McBride. "I suggest it's appropriate for everybody to calm down
down a little bit, let the smoke settle and see what we're dealing
with before everybody forms their opinions about him."
  The lifelong ambition of the juvenile arrested in the Truong
case is to be a police officer, according to friends.
  But San Clemente Police Chief Michael Sort said Monday that the
boy was dismissed from the Explorers on Sunday. The boy "had put
himself in a position he never should have," Sorg said. Sorg said
the boy had been an Explorer for two years and had an "exemplary"
record.
  Police had said over the weekend they believed only Raines had
attacked Truong, but after conducting additional interviews concluded 
that others "were lying to us."
  The incident began, Police Chief Purcell said, on Friday when
two carloads of eight teen-agers - including the three suspects
in a Volkswagen Bug - left a nonalcoholic dance hall on Laguna
Canyon Road called Club Post Nuclear and headed in the direction of 
the Little Shrimp, a gay bar next to the beach where Saturday's
beating is alleged to have taken place.
  Inside the Volkswagen, Purcell said Raines and Cribbins talked 
about "going to the Little Shrimp area to beat up some fags." The
fourth juvenile in the VW and those in the other car have not been
arrested because police believe they were not involved the attack,
Purcell said.
  Almost all of the eight teen-agers are students of San Clemente
High School.
  Truong was identified after police had checked the license plates 
of 60 or more parked cars in the area of the attack. Keys found in
Truong's packets opened a car that later was identified as his.
  Court records show that Truong was arrested by Laguna Beach
police in 1987 and plead guilty the following year to engaging in
lewd conduct with another man at the same beach where he was beaten.
  The court at the time, according to records, admonished Truong to
stay off the Mountain Road beach for at least three years.
  Purcell said Truong's previous arrest isn't a reason for "someone
to come and grizzly beat him." [Gad, how big of a Duh can you get. 
Are reporters really this stupid? And why is this even pertinent
to the story??]
  Laguna Beach City Councilman Robert F. Gentry said Truong's 
1988 conviction is "not relevant to this case. He was still attacked
and there was an attempted murder on him. We in no way should start
blaming the victim."
  On Monday, San Clemente High School Principal Christopher Cairns
issued a statement that he was "saddened by violence and concerned
that any of our young people could have been associated with it."
  Michelle Horton, a 15-year-old sophomore, said the beating
"wasn't right."
  "We all have rights. If he wanted to be gay, that's his right,"
Horton said.
  The alleged attack stunned members of the 300 strong Parents
and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) in Orange County.
  Elena Leyland, a Mission Viejo resident and an active member
of the group, said several of PFLAG's members called several South
County school districts seeking permission to speak to students
so they could familiarize them with gay and lesbians issues.
  "I'm saddened but determined that we as parents are to stand
up to this scare tactic," said Leyland, the mother of two young
men, one of whom is gay. "People are fearful of what they do
not know. It's important that people know the facts about
homosexuality."
  Police say there has been a string of attacks against gays
in Laguna Beach dating back to at least the late 1970's when a 
gay man was stabbed 16 times in the back. In that case, the 
victim died. Then, there was no such thing as a "hate crime"
on the books.
  In another fatal attack about eight years ago, a gay man was
stabbed once in the chest following an apparent argument, police
Sgt. Greg Bartz said. That attack occurred on Oceanfront, not far
from the Little Shrimp.
  Laguna Beach resident Kyle Anderson, who said he was walking in
the area of the alleged attack about midnight Friday, is organizing
a candlelight vigil Friday at 11:45 p.m. at Mountain Road and South
Coast Highway.
  Anderson said he did not know the victim but is planning the event
to "show some compassion for humankind."
  He has notified between 20 and 30 gay and lesbian groups in Orange
County and hopes to post bulletins at area high schools so "students
who weren't involved and don't condone bigotry and hatred can show up
and offer their support."
  Anderson said he timed the vigil so that it would end at about the 
time the beating allegedly occurred.
  "Hopefully, this will be the last time this will happen."

   

-- 

		Michael Thomas	(mike@gordian.com)
	"I don't think Bambi Eyes will get you that flame thrower..."  
		-- Hobbes to Calvin
		USnail: 20361 Irvine Ave Santa Ana Heights, Ca,	92707-5637
		PaBell: (714) 850-0205 (714) 850-0533 (fax)