Aztecs’ Mao Pleads Innocent to Assault

The campus police detective who arrested San Diego State linebacker Tracey Mao on two assault charges called the attack of a man in the parking lot of a taco shop “a senseless act.”

“It was even more unprovoked than the first assault,” San Diego State police detective Thomas Boyer said Thursday, referring to the back-to-back incidents Sunday night.

Mao, a junior from Lynwood, pleaded innocent Wednesday to two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and a count each of burglary, mayhem and battery. The charges are the result of two separate incidents Sunday night.

Mao is being held in San Diego County jail on $50,000 bond. Municipal Court Judge Ann P. Winebrenner set a bail hearing for Monday and a preliminary hearing for March 19.

The first incident took place in the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house Sunday night. Mao allegedly broke into the fraternity house and assaulted Brad Robinson, a TKE member. Boyer said Robinson suffered a slight contusion to the back of his left ear after being assaulted in the hallway of the fraternity house.

Boyer said investigators learned that Robinson was the victim of revenge by members of the football team on the TKE house. Aztec quarterback David Lowery, a Sigma Chi pledge, had his jaw broken Feb. 21 during a brawl between members the TKE and Sigma Chi houses.

Although other members of the football team were present during the beatings, campus police Lt. Steve Williams said Mao was “the only one doing the hitting.”

“I can’t pinpoint why Tracey Mao was involved and not another player,” Boyer said. “It’s just a brotherhood-type act (on Mao’s part). It seems the attack on Robinson was totally random.”

After talking with others involved in the incident, San Diego State Coach Al Luginbill said alcohol was a major cause of the incident.

“Any time you have alcohol present, you’re going to have trouble,” Luginbill said.

Luginbill said he has suspended Mao from the team, pending completion of judicial procedures. Mao was involved in another alcohol-related incident two years ago, but Luginbill said the player received counseling. “He has improved his grades and his behavior has been excellent,” Luginbill said. “That’s why this is so shocking.”

Scott Pfennighausen, the second alleged victim, was in the parking lot of a taco shop, across the street from the TKE house, when he was struck by Mao on the left side of his face and knocked unconscious, police said. Boyer said Pfennighausen, 19, was not a member of a fraternity and had no association to Mao or Robinson.

“Mao just walked up to (Pfennighausen) and hit him in the face,” said Boyer, who interviewed Pfennighausen at the scene. “He was just walking through the parking lot. Mao came at him from an angle, spun him around and hit him. He doesn’t remember a thing.”

Pfennighausen was reached at his sister’s house in Los Angeles, but he declined to comment on the incident. Neither Mao nor his attorney could be reached for comment.

Boyer said both of Pfennighausen’s eyes were swollen shut after he was struck.

The first of five charges against Mao said “Tracey Mao did willfully, unlawfully and maliciously put out the eye of Scott Pfennighausen.”

Boyer would not confirm that report, but he has recently seen pictures of the left eye and said “it looks pretty bad.” Boyer also said Pfennighausen suffered possible fractures to the bones in his face and a 1 1/2-inch cut on his left eyebrow.

Mao and his friends fled in two different cars from the parking lot. A friend of Pfennighausen’s took down the license plate on one of the cars, which led the campus police to Mao. He was arrested Monday afternoon at the SDSU football facility.