Updated at 12:19 p.m., Friday, September 7, 2007
QB charged in Kauai surfer's death to surrender
Associated Press
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San Diego Police Lt. Kevin Rooney said prosecutors and the lawyer defending Henri "Hank" Hendricks were arranging his surrender to face charges that he was part of a gang that fatally beat Kauanui in May. Before he was suspended Friday, Hendricks, 21, was a backup quarterback on the University of New Hampshire football team.
Rooney did not know who Hendricks' lawyer is, and the district attorney's office did not immediately return a call Friday seeking that and other information.
Police allege that Hendricks and four other San Diego-area men beat Kauanui at the pro surfer's home in San Diego's La Jolla section on May 24. Kauanui, 24, died several days later.
According to court records cited by the San Diego Union-Tribune, Hendricks described a fight between Kauanui and one of the defendants and then Kauanui falling, and striking his head, after being punched by a second defendant. Hendricks did not describe being physically involved himself.
Police allege the men are members of a gang known as the Bird Rock Bandits, something defense lawyers deny. According to court documents cited by the newspaper, police accuse the loose-knit group of about a dozen of harassing, intimidating and assaulting numerous people in La Jolla.
Rooney said one of the men is charged with nine felony assaults in addition to Kauanui's murder. But he said Hendricks is charged only in the Kauanui case.
"We're not alleging that he did any other crimes," Rooney said.
Hendricks is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in San Diego Superior Court on charges of murder, assault and battery.
The others, who face the same charges, are Seth Cravens, 21; Eric House, 20; Orlando Osuna, 22; and Matthew Yanke, 21. All four pleaded innocent at a hearing Tuesday.
Hendricks was not arrested immediately after the beating, but gave a statement to police a few days later. He wasn't charged until Tuesday.
According to search warrant affidavits, Hendricks told detectives he was with Cravens, House, Yanke and Osuna at a bar the night of May 23 but had left when a confrontation occurred between House and Kauanui. Hendricks told police he and the others left the bar and drove to Kauanui's home, where a second confrontation occurred. He said it ended when Kauanui got punched in the jaw and fell backward, hitting his head.
Rooney said he could not comment on what allegedly happened, but said the fact that prosecutors are treating it as a gang case raises the stakes under California law.
"That brings into it a whole other dimension," he said.
