2 Men to Stand Trial on Hate Charges
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Two Burbank men who allegedly attacked a group of Japanese-American surfers at Topanga State Beach were ordered Monday to stand trial on hate crime charges, the district attorney’s office said.
Los Angeles Municipal Judge David Horowitz ordered Kasey Cody, 21, and Kurt Burns, 27, held for trial on three felony hate crime charges and one misdemeanor count, Deputy Dist. Atty. Frank Sundstedt said.
The two “are charged with attacking the victims with hands and feet because of their race,” Sundstedt said.
Cody and Burns hurled a “barrage of racial insults” at Yuji Kawana, 24; Alan Miyagishima, 31, and Michael Tagami, 35, on Feb. 29 and ordered them off the beach, Sundstedt said.
Burns hit Tagami in the face and stomped his glasses, Sundstedt said, adding that he also struck Miyagishima.
Cody and Burns were being held in lieu of $15,000 bail each. They were ordered back in court May 14.
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