White Supremacist’s Trial Underway
The trial of a self-admitted white supremacist charged with trying to kill a Native American man in an attack at the Huntington Beach pier in 1996 began this week in Orange County Superior Court.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Bryan Kazarian said Erik Roy Anderson nearly stabbed 20-year-old George Mondragon to death Feb. 3, 1996, in an effort to earn the respect of other white supremacists.
Anderson and several other men verbally accosted several minorities at the pier on that same night before confronting Mondragon and two friends at a lifeguard tower, according to testimony.
Anderson allegedly asked Mondragon if he believed in “white power.” When Mondragon began running, Anderson and another man, Michael Eckert, attacked him, according to the prosecution. Mondragon was slashed 27 times with a large hunting knife.
Another jury convicted Eckert of attempted murder, conspiracy and hate crime charges. He was sentenced in April to 12 years in prison. Defense attorneys said Anderson stabbed Mondragon but denied he was trying to kill the victim.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
