WOODLAND HILLS : Rap Group Member Charged in Assault

A member of the rap group NWA was charged Thursday with assault in the beating of a Woodland Hills man.

Andre Romell Young, 26, of Agoura Hills--whose stage name is Dr. Dre--and his attorney were arranging for the rapper to surrender to authorities, said Ted Goldstein, spokesman for the Los Angeles city attorney’s office.

Young faces two misdemeanor charges in connection with the May 5 beating of Damon Thomas, 22, Goldstein said.

The charges were filed Thursday in Van Nuys Municipal Court.

The beating occurred in front of Thomas’ home, Goldstein said, after the victim allegedly made rude comments to Young’s girlfriend earlier.

“Young thought Thomas made inappropriate remarks to Young’s girlfriend,” Goldstein said. “Young confronted him outside his home. . . . Thomas was rendered unconscious with a broken jaw.”

Young’s attorney, David Kenner of Encino, did not return phone calls to his office Thursday evening.

Young is on probation after pleading no contest Aug. 27 to charges that he beat up a television show host in a West Hollywood nightclub, Goldstein said.

Young was sentenced to probation and community service after the January, 1991, attack on Dee Barnes in the Speakeasy Club.

Barnes, host of “Pump It Up” on Fox Broadcasting, has a civil suit pending against Young.

NWA’s first album, “Straight Outta Compton,” sold more than 1 million copies within two weeks of its release in 1989 and is well-known for an obscene anti-police number.

The group’s second album, “Efil4zaggin,” was released last year and has been controversial for lyrics about sexually abusing, beating and killing women.