Hells Angel Sentencing: Ocean Beach Attack on Black Men
- Troy Andrew Scholder, 44, a high-ranking member of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, received a sentence of 21 years to life in state prison Friday for a racially...
- Scholder's conviction stems from a June 6, 2023, incident where he stabbed a young Black man in the chest.
- Prosecutors stated that the three victims, aged 19 to 21, were targeted after one of them spoke to a Hells Angels member's girlfriend.
troy Scholder, a Hells Angels leader, received a sentence of 21 years to life for a racially motivated stabbing in a brutal Ocean beach attack. This marks a significant legal consequence for the violent hate crime. Scholder was convicted of attempted murder and a hate crime after targeting three Black men, fueled by racial animus. Prosecutors detailed how the victims were chased, beaten, and subjected to racial slurs on Newport Avenue. The case, involving 17 individuals indicted, underscores a disturbing pattern of violence.Defense arguments against the hate crime charge were dismissed, given Scholder’s history of white supremacist associations and the use of racial slurs. discover further developments and the ongoing legal proceedings for remaining defendants as reported by News Directory 3. What’s the impact on the Hells Angels in San Diego County?
Hells Angels Leader Gets 21 Years for Racially Motivated Stabbing
Troy Andrew Scholder, 44, a high-ranking member of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, received a sentence of 21 years to life in state prison Friday for a racially motivated attack in Ocean Beach. The San Diego County District attorney’s Office confirmed Scholder’s leadership role within the local Hells Angels chapter.
Scholder’s conviction stems from a June 6, 2023, incident where he stabbed a young Black man in the chest. A jury found him guilty earlier this year of attempted murder, assault, and a hate crime. The case involved 17 individuals indicted for their roles in the assault.
Prosecutors stated that the three victims, aged 19 to 21, were targeted after one of them spoke to a Hells Angels member’s girlfriend. The incident escalated on Newport Avenue, where the victims were chased.
One victim escaped, but the other two endured a brutal beating accompanied by racial slurs. The attackers told the victims they were not welcome in the neighborhood. During the assault,Scholder stabbed one of the men,fracturing his sternum,piercing his lung,and severing an artery,according to Deputy District Attorney Miriam Hemming.
The lengthy sentence was influenced by Scholder’s prior strike conviction for robbing a former Hells Angels member who wanted to leave the gang.
Defence attorney Marc Kohnen argued against the strike conviction, pointing to Scholder’s crime-free period between the 2007 robbery and the Ocean Beach incident. Kohnen also disputed the hate crime motivation, despite the jury’s finding, claiming a lack of evidence that Scholder used racial slurs.
Hemming countered that Scholder led the group shouting racial slurs and had a history of associating with white supremacists. She noted Scholder’s white supremacist tattoos and past use of racial slurs, including a 2003 misdemeanor conviction involving a hate crime allegation.In that earlier incident,Scholder fought with a Black man at a Pacific Beach bar and used racial slurs when arrested.
Hemming emphasized that the victims in the Ocean Beach case were simply walking down the street when attacked, with one witness describing the beating as nearly fatal. following the stabbing, Scholder was taken to the gang’s El Cajon clubhouse before his arrest nearly three months later.
What’s next
The remaining defendants involved in the Ocean Beach attack face ongoing legal proceedings. Authorities continue to monitor Hells Angels activities in San Diego County.