Indictment alleges Hells Angels attacked three Black men
More than a dozen members of San Diego’s Hells Angels biker gang have been indicted for “viciously” attacking three Black men earlier this year.
Seventeen defendants were arrested Sept. 21 for chasing and attacking three men — ages 19, 20 and 21 — in Ocean Beach on June 6.
During the assault, the gang members shouted a racial epithet at the men and told them they didn’t belong in the neighborhood, prosecutors said in a press release.
Although one of the men managed to run and escape any injuries, another was caught, beaten and kicked until he fell unconscious.
The third man allegedly was beaten by multiple gang members before a Hells Angels leader, Troy Scholder, allegedly stabbed him in the chest and cracked the man’s sternum. Scholder then “casually folded up his knife and walked away,” according to prosecutors. The man survived his injuries.
“In San Diego County, we cannot, and will not tolerate violence and racism of any nature, much less crimes like this hateful, vicious, and unprovoked attack,” said District Attorney Summer Stephan.
Hells Angels is an international outlaw motorcycle gang the Justice Department has described as an organized crime unit. The Justice Department has said such gangs include members engaged in violent crime, weapons trafficking, and drug trafficking.
The motive for the San Diego attack is thought to be because one of the three Black men spoke to the girlfriend of one of the Hells Angels members.
The indictments came down after six days of trial before a grand jury, according to the DA’s office.
On Sept. 5, the grand jury returned indictments against 14 defendants for assault likely to cause great bodily injury, all with a gang allegation, and 11 of them with a hate crime allegation.
Three defendants were added to the indictment because the trio helped drive Scholder from the scene and back to the Hells Angels clubhouse in El Cajon, Calif.
“These disgusting hate-driven attacks have no place in our community. There is no stronger way to condemn this violence than to hold the perpetrators accountable to the fullest force of the law,” said San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit. “We committed every necessary resource to track down and arrest each person who was involved in these wanton acts of violence.”
In the arrest last week, 42 illegal firearms were also seized along with illegal drugs. A readiness hearing is set for Nov. 3. If convicted of all charges, the defendants could face life in prison.
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