3 Youths Must Stand Trial in Westlake Brawl

Three 16-year-old youths must stand trial for participating in a violent February brawl that left two Westlake High School students hospitalized with gunshot wounds, a Ventura County judge ruled Wednesday.

But Acting Superior Court Judge Bruce A. Clark, who listened to three days of testimony during the preliminary hearing, dismissed two firearms charges against one of the youths.

Clark ruled that prosecutors failed to present sufficient evidence that defendant William Huang helped in the shootings during the Feb. 3 melee.

The judge, however, refused to drop an assault charge against Huang, of Rowland Heights in Los Angeles County.

Four Asian American youths were charged in the brawl, which focused community attention on youth violence in Thousand Oaks. The fourth defendant, James Lee, 16, of Thousand Oaks, is a fugitive.

The melee began after Westlake High football player Curtis Simmons and Lee agreed to meet at North Ranch Park after school for a fistfight to settle a long-running feud, according to court testimony.

Simmons arrived at the scene with dozens of backers, many of them fellow football players, and Lee showed up with five carloads of supporters, some armed with sticks, bats and guns, investigators said.

Lee’s supporters emerged from their vehicles, announcing: “We’re the Asian Mafia,” then attacked Simmons and his friends with the weapons, investigators said.

Besides Lee and Huang, authorities charged John Yi of Thousand Oaks and Oubansack (Andy) Sonethanouphet of Brea in Orange County. Those four were charged because they--unlike others at the brawl--had weapons, prosecutors said.

Despite their ages, the defendants were all ordered to be tried as adults by a Ventura County judge. Shortly after that decision, Lee, who had been released on $5,000 bail, failed to appear in court. Deputy Dist. Atty. John A. Vanarelli said authorities believe Lee--who was facing two charges of assault--and his family have fled to their native Taiwan.

Sonethanouphet and Huang have been at Juvenile Hall since shortly after the shooting. Yi posted $50,000 bail.

Sonethanouphet was ordered to go to trial on two counts of assault with a firearm for allegedly shooting football players Scott Smith, 16, and David Behling, 17, both of whom required hospitalization.

Yi will face trial on four felony counts, the most of any of the defendants.

He is charged with assault with a firearm for allegedly shooting 16-year-old Jarad Kline, who was not hospitalized. Yi also faces charges for allegedly shooting at an occupied vehicle, discharging a firearm with gross negligence and possession of a firearm on school grounds.

Yi’s attorney, William T. Graysen, contended in court that his client was at the park to help Curtis Simmons. Graysen denied that Yi arrived with the other defendants.

According to Graysen, Yi fired his .25-caliber handgun in the air only to distract other youths who were pounding Simmons with blunt objects.

“The fight starts, baseball bats are taken out, Curtis Simmons is on the ground having his head smashed in and John Yi fires,” Graysen said. He said Yi “saved the life of Curtis Simmons.”

Sonethanouphet’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Donna L. Forry, acknowledged that her client also fired a gun.

But she said prosecutors failed to prove that he is the person who shot Smith and Behling. And, she said, any shots he fired were in self-defense.

Outside court, prosecutor Vanarelli declined to comment on the judge’s decision to drop two of the three charges against Huang.

“He listened very closely to the evidence,” Vanarelli said of the judge. “That’s all I’ve got to say.”

Clark scheduled arraignment in Superior Court for Aug. 3.