AGOURA HILLS : Man Denies Guilt in Slaying of Youth

An 18-year-old man pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that he and three other youths fatally stabbed a 16-year-old Agoura High School student and wounded another.

Brandon Wade Hein of Oak Park was arraigned in Malibu Municipal Court on a charge of murder with the special circumstance that it was committed during a robbery. Hein, who is in custody without bail, is also charged with one count of attempted murder and two counts of attempted robbery.

Two juveniles have been charged in the same crime and are scheduled to be arraigned today in San Fernando Valley juvenile court in Sylmar. Deputy Dist. Atty. Laura Foland-Priver said that after the youths are arraigned, a hearing will be held at a later date to determine if the 15-year-old from Thousand Oaks and the 17-year-old from Agoura Hills should be tried as adults.

Another suspect, Jason (Skip) Holland, 18, of Thousand Oaks, has also been charged in the incident but remains at large.

The four teen-agers are accused of attacking Mike McLoren and James Farris III, both 16, on Monday during a botched attempt to steal property from McLoren at his Agoura Hills home.

The two 16-year-olds were stabbed numerous times. Farris died at Westlake Medical Center. McLoren was taken to UCLA Medical Center and is expected to recover.

Police said the four suspects are members of a group that sheriff’s deputies called a “wanna-be gang.” Detectives said the defendants had recently been stealing from a clubhouse McLoren had built in his parents’ back yard.