Members of a well-known motorcycle gang were indicted for allegedly attacking three Black men in California earlier this year.
The charges stem from an incident in June in the Ocean Beach district of San Diego. Members of Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and their supporters are accused of beating, hurling a racial epithet, and chasing the victims out of the neighborhood, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. The victims’ ages range between 19 and 21.
Prosecutors said the attack possibly happened after one of the victims spoke to a gang member’s girlfriend. During the incident, one was able to escape. The second victim was punched so hard that he was knocked unconscious. The third, per officials, was beaten to the ground by several members.
“Longtime Hells Angels leader, Troy Scholder, pulled out a knife, rolled the victim onto his side, and stabbed him in the chest, cracking the young man’s sternum,” the press release said. “After trying to kill the victim, Mr. Scholder casually folded up his knife and walked away. The young man survived his injuries.”
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In early September, a grand jury decided to indict 14 members on assault to cause great bodily injury “with a gang affiliation,” according to the press release. Eleven of them were hit with a hate crime, and the grand jury added another three who allegedly drove Scholder to the group’s clubhouse in El Cajon following the attack.
Officials said that seventeen suspects pleaded not guilty and were arrested on Sept. 21, and authorities found drugs and 42 illegal firearms. NBC San Diego reported that Scholder was charged with attempted murder, is in custody without bond, and could face 39 years to life behind bars.
“These disgusting hate-driven attacks have no place in our community,” Police Chief David Nisleit said in a statement. “There is no stronger way to condemn this violence than to hold the perpetrators accountable to the fullest force of the law.”
According to the press release, the group is known “to have a virulent streak of racism” by showcasing hate symbols and imagery.
