Latest Huntington Beach riot suspect in court pleads not guilty
The 11th person arrested in connection with a riot in Huntington Beach pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning, authorities said.
Eliyahu Reuven Jackson, 20, a transient whose last known address was Sunset Beach, pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of vandalism and three misdemeanor counts of inciting a riot, refusing to disperse and assault.
He faces up to three years and eight months in prison if convicted.
In a statement, Huntington Beach police said Jackson participated in several acts of vandalism and “riotous” behavior during the July 28 disruption downtown.
According to authorities, the suspect was identified by his family.
The violence flared along Main Street following the conclusion of the eight-day U.S. Open of Surfing contest, which drew an estimated 100,000 to the city.
An unruly crowd moved through the city’s downtown, tipping over portable toilets, setting fires, throwing objects at police and looting a bicycle shop after one still-unidentified man smashed the shop’s window.
Seven people were arrested at the scene and three others have been arrested after being identified through the numerous photos and video shot during the disturbance.
Two photos went viral after the incident -- one showing a man smashing the front window of the Easyrider Bike Shop with a stop sign, and another showing the same man shouting with his arms thrust in the air.
Those who posted the images on social media indicated they did so in hopes of identifying the person responsible.
The photos were shared thousands of times.
“He will pay,” one person wrote of the man who smashed the window.
Twitter: @josephserna l @acocarpio
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