The McClellan Law Firm News

Bird Rock Bandits and Parents Sued; Bar Also Named

SAN DIEGO, July 22 PRNewswire — Suit was filed in San Diego Superior Court today against Seth Cravens, Orlando Osuna, Matthew Yanke, Eric House and Henri "Hank" Hendricks, all known as the "Bird Rock Bandits," a local La Jolla gang, charged with the beating death of Emery Kauanui. Four of the five defendants pled guilty to felonies in connection with the death, and are awaiting sentencing. The fifth defendant, Seth Cravens, awaits trial on murder charges.

On May 24, 2007, after drinking at the La Jolla Brew House, Cravens, House, Osuna, Yanke and Hendricks went to Emery Kauanui's house to start a fight with him, following a disagreement in the bar. At Kauanui's home, they beat him severely, causing a brain injury that led to his death four days later.

The lawsuit, brought by Emery's mother, Cindy Kauanui, also charges some of the defendants' parents, William Hughes Cravens, Karen J. Cravens, Lisa C. Walchef, Edna Ivette Osuna Labrenz, Ramon Sandoval Germez, Giancarlo M. Yanke and Rachel Yanke, with "Parental Malpractice" for knowing the violent, abusive, and dangerous behavior of their children when they were minors yet failing to exercise any parental supervision, discipline, instruction or control. "These kids would go out on weekends to find people to brutalize. Despite complaints to their parents, juvenile arrests, and blood on their childrens' hands, their parents did nothing," said Craig McClellan of The McClellan Law Firm, attorneys for Cindy Kauanui. "At some point, parents have to accept personal responsibility for failing to fulfill their parental obligations and allowing these bloodbaths to continue," said McClellan.

The lawsuit also names BARKANDBREW INC., doing business as the La Jolla Brew House, for serving beer to House and Yanke, who were not only minors, but were intoxicated, according to the lawsuit. "The Brew House has a reputation as a hangout for La Jolla High School students because it doesn't check identification," said McClellan. "It continues to serve minors, as it did House and Yanke, even after they were obviously intoxicated. Minors don't have the judgment to know when to stop drinking and alcohol will cause people to act in ways that good judgment would otherwise preclude. That's why we have drinking age restrictions, which the Brew House ignored for profit," charged McClellan.

Case Name:

CYNTHIA KAUANUI, Individually and as Successor in Interest of Decedent Emery Kauanui, PLAINTIFFS vs. SETH LOGOTAEAO CRAVENS; ERIC MATTHEW HOUSE; ORLANDO SANDOVAL OSUNA; MATTHEW MURRAY YANKE; HENRI "HANK" QUINN-WILLIAM HENDRICKS; WILLIAM HUGHES CRAVENS; KAREN J. CRAVENS; LISA C. WALCHEF; EDNA IVETTE OSUNA LABRENZ; RAMON SANDOVAL GERMEZ; GIANCARLO M. YANKE; RACHEL YANKE; BARKANDBREW INC. dba LA JOLLA BREW HOUSE; CLAUDETTE MANNIXX, Individually and as owner of BARKANDBREW INC., and DOES 1-200, DEFENDANTS.