The Daily Bulletin reported on March 10th that sentencing was delayed for three defendants convicted of a December, 2006, attack on a black man in a parking lot at Indian Hill Blvd. and San Jose Ave. in Claremont. The case is being heard in Pomona Superior Court.
The Bulletin article noted:
Anthony Allen, Joseph McCool, and Ryan White will face prison terms for the attack on Charles Washington when they return to the Pomona Superior Court in April.
The sentencing was continued because attorneys are filing a motion seeking a new trial, citing issues with jury selection and a request that the judge independently review the evidence as a 13th juror, said Gary Meastas, Allen's attorney.
Both Allen and White will go to court April 8. McCool will face his sentencing April 14.
The attack occurred after the defendants, who had stopped off in Claremont at a restaurant on their way to a white supremacists' rally in Westwood, confronted two black men. The attackers beat and repeatedly stabbed one of the victims with a hunting knife.
The other victim, Kavis Knight, told his story to the Claremont Courier's Tony Krickl in an article in the paper's 2/10/2007 edition:
Mr. Knight explained that initially there were two males and two females who approached them. The group was insulting him and his friend, 35-year-old Charles Washington of Pomona, and using racial slurs. As they were arguing and the tension continued to rise, about 6 more of the group’s friends came out of the Baker’s Square restaurant, located at the corner of Indian Hill Boulevard and San Jose Avenue. That’s when the argument escalated into a fight.
“They started coming with full force and fists and everything so I started fighting back. I was against the wall [of the liquor store] but my friend was still in the parking lot and wasn’t able to get away from them,” said Mr. Knight. “They were all in a circle around him. I saw him on the ground, and they were kicking him. I didn’t even see him get stabbed, but I realized he was really hurt when I tried to pick him up later and there was blood everywhere.”
By being against the wall of the liquor store, Mr. Knight said he was able to avoid being surrounded by his attackers and possibly end up with injuries as serious as his friend, who had been stabbed several times in the back and the leg. His friend needed to be airlifted to USC Medical Center in Los Angeles due to the seriousness of his injuries. Mr. Knight sustained injuries on his hands but did not seek medical treatment.
“I didn’t want to be in a situation that could get me in jail or where I could end up hurting somebody. I’m too old for that,” said Mr. Knight. “I used to live in the south side of Pomona and there was a fight every day down there. I was finally able to move my kids out of that environment and move up here to Claremont. I didn’t want this.”
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