3 Teen Suspects in Fatal Beating Face New Charge

Three high school athletes suspected in the beating death of an 18-year-old man face an additional assault charge stemming from a second fight that night, prosecutors said Thursday.

Richard Newton, Marcus Raines and Rodney Woods, all 17 and from Palmdale, challenged the charges of murder and assault on Thursday in Juvenile Court in Sylmar, said Los Angeles County district attorney’s office spokeswoman Victoria Pipkin.

Prosecutors have asked the court to try the three teens as adults. A judge may make a decision on Tuesday, when the defendants are scheduled to return to court.

In the amended complaint, prosecutors say the three were involved in another fight after the alleged fatal attack on Christopher O’Leary.

The second fight involved a 22-year-old friend of O’Leary who also was at the party, Pipkin said.

The man may have tried to intervene on O’Leary’s behalf, said Pipkin, who gave no further details.

O’Leary was picking up his girlfriend from a party on May 19 when he was punched in the face by Newton, the starting quarterback at Littlerock High, authorities said. When O’Leary fell to the ground, he allegedly was kicked in the head by Raines, who won two medals at a state track meet the next day. Prosecutors say Woods participated in the beating. Authorities believe the attack was unprovoked.

O’Leary, who was an avid skateboarder, went home woozy from the beating. Several hours later he was found unconscious in his bed and airlifted to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.