Marines Targeted in Southern California White Supremacist Assault

Austin Yohe, 23, and Daniel Burns, 30, of Riverside, Calif., were charged with federal hate crimes and obstruction of justice following assaults on three men near the Oceanside Pier. Prosecutors identified both as members of Coors 88, a Southern California white supremacist organization. A third defendant, Johnny Lee Lane, 23, pleaded guilty to participating in […]

Austin Yohe, 23, and Daniel Burns, 30, of Riverside, Calif., were charged with federal hate crimes and obstruction of justice following assaults on three men near the Oceanside Pier. Prosecutors identified both as members of Coors 88, a Southern California white supremacist organization. A third defendant, Johnny Lee Lane, 23, pleaded guilty to participating in the attacks.
According to the Justice Department, the three men first attacked a 21-year-old Black and Asian man sitting near the pier with his wife after a family funeral. The assailants allegedly punched, kicked and stomped on him, causing a concussion and other serious injuries. They subsequently attacked two U.S. Marines, one Black and one white, after shouting racial slurs. One Marine suffered multiple facial fractures and a concussion; the other sustained head and hand injuries.
Prosecutors alleged that Yohe and Burns made false statements to investigators and court personnel to conceal their involvement. Both appeared in federal court, with a hearing and trial scheduled for Oct. 30. Lane was released on bond pending sentencing in January. The hate crime charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, while obstruction charges carry up to 20 years.