Jury Begins Deliberations in Athlete’s Battery Trial

A Vista Municipal Court jury began deliberations Wednesday in the misdemeanor battery trial of Erik Heipt, a former star wrestler at San Dieguito High School.

Heipt, 19, is charged with joining five friends in beating Craig Beveridge, 20, a Palomar College student, April 25 in the Vons parking lot in La Costa.

Heipt is one of nine current or former athletes at San Dieguito High charged in three allegedly brutal attacks in North County. Seven of the nine are under 18 years old and being tried in Juvenile Court; one of the juveniles also faces a drunk driving charge.

In final arguments to the jury, defense attorney Thomas Warwick said Beveridge was the aggressor in the incident, probably influenced by violent movies such as “Rambo” and “The Terminator.”

Chief Deputy Dist. Atty. Brian Michaels said Heipt and his friends continued beating and kicking Beveridge after he was dazed and helpless, including bashing his head against a car.

Soon after the jury began deliberations, Heipt left to catch a plane to Boulder, Colo., where he is scheduled to attend the University of Colorado. He graduated in June from San Dieguito High.

A final prosecution witness had testified that one of Heipt’s co-defendants, being tried separately, had bragged about how the group beat up Beveridge. The witness added that the co-defendant also said that the group often went looking for victims to beat up.

Wednesday, two defense witnesses, who had been part of the same school bus conversation, disputed the prosecution witness’ version, asserting that no such comments were made.

Shortly before adjourning for the night after deliberating for four hours, jurors asked to have the testimony of Vons employee Robert Valois read to them. Valois testified that he saw Beveridge being beaten and had feared he might be killed.

Valois’ testimony will be read to the jury this morning.