Hate crime defendants plead not guilty

Four people accused of attempted murder in what police call a racially motivated attack in Huntington Beach’s Oak View neighborhood in July have pleaded not guilty.

The attack was described by police as a hate crime perpetrated by known white supremacists.

One of the defendants is 24-year-old Erin Brooks, 24. She was charged along with Brian Hanson, 26, of Santa Ana; Michael Powell, 21, of Anaheim; and Bret Hicks, 30, of Riverside.

Huntington Beach police Sgt. Russell Reinhart said the four are members of the Public Enemy Number 1 white supremacist gang (also known as PENI or PEN1).

Reinhart said the four were cruising the 7800 block of Slater Avenue in the predominantly Latino neighborhood about 11:55 p.m. July 3, searching for a victim.

“They were out looking to attack somebody,” Reinhart said. “It wasn’t just a random attack. They had the intent of finding somebody based on their race.”

They allegedly found their victim in an alley, then stabbed him three times before beating him, Reinhart said.

When neighbors discovered the attack, they came and began to “attack the attackers,” Reinhart said, chasing them off.

Police were able to find the suspects using witness testimonies.

“They all have long criminal histories,” Reinhart said.

Police haven’t released the identity of the victim because of the nature of the crime, Reinhart said.

The pretrial will begin at 8:30 a.m. Monday at Orange County Superior Court in Westminster.

— Candice Baker