Student Could Face Prison in Biting of Agent

An 18-year-old UC San Diego student who was arrested for allegedly biting an FBI agent on the hand during a protest at the university could face three years in prison for assault, a federal magistrate said Friday.

Kristen Crabtree, who was described by a UCSD dean as an “excellent student,” was released from the Metropolitan Correctional Center Friday night after spending more than 24 hours in jail for allegedly biting agent Marene Allison.

She was booked Thursday and charged with assaulting or impeding a federal officer.

U.S. Magistrate Barry Ted Moskowitz said at Crabtree’s arraignment Friday in federal court that the charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He ordered Crabtree to return to court June 2.

Crabtree was arrested at 2:20 p.m. after a student protest against the presence of an FBI recruiter at a UCSD jobs fair. She was accused of “interfering” with Allison by taking pictures of her while the agent spoke to students about FBI careers.

Asked to Stop

“This girl was taking her picture and (Allison) asked her to stop,” said FBI spokesman Gary Laturno “. . . (Allison) put her hand on the strap of the camera and (Crabtree) bit her hand.”

The FBI is taking the case “very seriously,” Laturno said.

But two students who participated in the protest had a much different opinion of the events that led up to Crabtree’s arrest.

Lincoln Mitchell, 19, said he saw Allison attack Crabtree after the agent became angered by having her picture taken. Mitchell said Allison stormed up to Crabtree and forcibly began trying to take the camera away.

“She grabbed the camera strap from around (Crabtree’s) neck and started yanking it,” Mitchell said.

“Kristen bit her out of self-defense,” he said.

Arnie Schonberg, 20, offered a similar account.

“We were handing out literature about CIA and FBI presence around the world and Kristen took a picture of (Allison) . . . That’s when (Allison) freaked out,” Schonberg said.

Karen Trimble, a paralegal who was one of many professionals at the jobs fair, said she was sitting at a booth next to Allison’s and spoke with the agent after her confrontation with Crabtree.

“She was very upset about it . . . She was a little bit in shock that someone would bite her,” Trimble said.

“The bite definitely broke the skin. . . . It was on her ring finger on her right hand around the knuckle . . . It had to be a pretty healthy bite,” Trimble said.

Laturno said Allison went to a doctor after the incident. The U.S. attorney’s office, which is prosecuting the case, asked that Crabtree take a blood test after her release from jail as a condition of her release.

Test Agreed To

Crabtree and her attorney agreed at an arraignment Friday that the student should be tested as a “precaution.” They did not specify precisely what the blood test was a precaution against.

After arresting her, FBI agents confiscated Crabtree’s camera as evidence in the case, although it will be returned to her at a later date, Laturno said.

About 150 students gathered at noon Friday in front of the campus gymnasium for a protest in support of Crabtree. Several speakers spoke out on her behalf and condemned the FBI’s actions.

“Kristen didn’t act as a single student; she acted for all of us,” shouted student Sue Spalding. “(The FBI) is responsible for Kristen being in jail.”

James F. Pokorny, Crabtree’s attorney, said his client will not plead guilty to any charges.

Kevin McInerney, a lawyer with the U.S attorney’s office, said he isn’t sure how Crabtree will be prosecuted.

“She (Crabtree) is very young. . . . We have to try to do something that is fair to the young lady involved,” he said.

Action Defended

McInerney said that Allison was within her rights to try to stop Crabtree from taking her picture and the student was wrong in her actions.

“Nothing justifies assault,” McInerney said.

“(Crabtree) appears to have been interfering with legitimate activities . . . (Crabtree) is young but she is beyond the age of biting,” he said.

Hugh Pates, an assistant dean of students at UCSD, said the university was not involved in Crabtree’s arrest. But Pates did attend her arraignment as a character witness on her behalf.

“Kristen is an excellent student and has been a very positive leader on campus,” Pates said. “She’s the kind of individual you’d like to have as your daughter.”

A preliminary hearing for Crabtree is scheduled for June 2.