Huntington man pleads innocent A Huntington...

Huntington man pleads innocent

A Huntington Beach resident pleaded innocent last week to charges

that he threatened to kill an elderly Iranian couple in the aftermath

of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Steven James McManus, 44, has been charged with two felony counts

of making a criminal threat, with hate crime enhancements, as well as

with five misdemeanors, including two counts of elder abuse, two

counts of civil rights violations and one count of obstructing a

police officer.

McManus, a former Marine, was ordered to return to court on July

31 for a pretrial hearing.

Prosecutors allege that McManus threatened to kill a 77-year-old

man and his wife, 74 while they were out on a daily early morning

walk on Sept. 23.

While driving on Bushard Street, McManus spotted the couple and

made a sudden U-turn and parked his car, police said.

Police said he approached the couple and asked them where they

were from and then told them to cross the street or he would kill

them.

Fearing for their safety, the couple crossed the street where a

neighbor picked them up and drove them to the home of their son who

lived nearby, police said. Another neighbor who saw McManus threaten

the couple called police and directed them to his home.

Officers arrived at his home later that afternoon to interview

him. He was taken into custody and later released.

If convicted on all counts McManus could face a maximum of eight

years in prison.

-- Jose Paul Corona