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2 Shot After Threat, Youth Testifies : Juvenile court: Witness says he saw the 17-year-old defendant--one of four youths charged in the melee--wound two Westlake High students.

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

A 17-year-old boy charged with shooting two Westlake High School football players yelled a threat at one of his victims before shooting the unarmed boy, a friend of the defendant testified Monday.

“I heard Andy say, ‘You want to get shot?’ ” testified Randy Bundalian, referring to Oubansack (Andy) Sonethanouphet, who is being tried in juvenile court on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

After making the threat, Sonethanouphet pointed his two-shot Derringer at two different boys and shot each of them, said Bundalian, who said he then saw the victims fall to the ground.

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Prosecutors say the bullets hit Scott Smith and David Behling. Smith was shot in the shoulder, while Behling suffered a wound to the back of the head. Both were hospitalized briefly and released.

Bundalian testified that he went to North Ranch Park on Feb. 3 with about 20 other Asian youths to fight a group of Westlake students, mostly football players. He said he chased some of the football players with a stick, but never hit anyone.

Bundalian was not charged with any crime in connection with the melee, which shocked the Thousand Oaks community because of its level of violence.

Sonethanouphet is one of four youths charged in the attack, in which several other Westlake students were injured. Two 17-year-old defendants face trial in adult court. The fourth juvenile, James Lee, is a fugitive.

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Behling also took the stand Monday, telling Ventura County Judge Charles R. McGrath about the series of events leading to the shootings.

But Behling said he could not identify his attacker. Last week, Smith also said he did not see who had shot him.

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With none of the victims able to identify his attacker, Bundalian’s testimony seemed to strengthen the prosecution’s case against Sonethanouphet, described as a gang member from Rowland Heights.

The brawl began when Lee, then a Westlake student, and Curtis Simmons, a football player, agreed to an after-school fistfight Feb. 3, according to testimony.

Instead, Lee and about 20 supporters assaulted Simmons and his friends with sticks, boards, baseball bats, metal rods and guns, prosecutors said.

Shortly after the melee, Sonethanouphet confessed to shooting Behling and Smith. But McGrath ruled that police coerced that statement and dismissed charges in adult court against him.

Prosecutors now are trying him as a juvenile before McGrath but cannot introduce the confession into evidence.

If convicted, Sonethanouphet could be sentenced to the California Youth Authority until age 25. Lawyers expect the case to be completed as early as today.

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Behling, now 18, testified that he went to North Ranch Park that day to help Simmons in the prearranged fight with Lee.

But Behling said Lee and his friends arrived with weapons and immediately attacked Simmons.

At first, he tried to run to Simmons’ aid, Behling said. But when he saw two different opponents flash handguns, he tried to run away but didn’t get very far, Behling testified.

As he was fleeing, Behling said, “I heard a gunshot and felt myself go down.”

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