Man pleads guilty in H.B. riot case

A Simi Valley man pleaded guilty Oct. 31 to crimes connected to the U.S. Open of Surfing disturbance this summer, according to court records.

Chase Scott Christman, 19, pleaded guilty to vandalism, inciting a riot and refusing to disperse during a large-scale scuffle at the end of the surfing event on July 28.

According to court records, the defendant was sentenced to three years of probation, 80 hours of community service with a nonprofit group in Huntington Beach and required to pay about $4,300 in restitution, according to Orange County district attorney’s office spokeswoman spokeswoman Farrah Emami.

It cost Huntington Beach around $31,000 to address the incident, including $17,000 in police overtime costs and $6,100 in damages to a city utility truck.

In July, Christman pleaded not guilty to the three charges and faced up to three years in state prison if convicted. His lawyer could not be reached for comment.

—Anthony Clark Carpio

Twitter: @acocarpio