Former Marine, Surf City resident charged in hate crimes

Jose Paul Corona

A former Marine has agreed to surrender himself to Orange County

prosecutors on Friday now that hate crime charges have been filed against

him following an incident that occurred in the wake of the Sept. 11

terrorist attacks.

Huntington Beach resident Steven James McManus has been charged with

two felony counts of making a criminal threat with hate enhancements, two

misdemeanor civil rights violations, two misdemeanor counts of elder

abuse and one misdemeanor count of obstructing a police officer.

Prosecutors allege that 44-year-old McManus threatened to kill an

elderly Iranian couple as they were out taking their daily early morning

walk on Sept. 23, 2001.

Senior Deputy District Atty. Mike Fell said that research had to be

done in order to assure that McManus was charged with the proper hate

crime violations.

“Basically, we took some time to thoroughly go over the case to make a

thorough examination and a thorough assessment of the the case to figure

out the most exact way to proceed,” Fell said.

While driving on Bushard Street, McManus spotted the 77-year-old man

and his 74-year-old wife. Upon seeing them he allegedly made a sudden

U-turn and parked his car.

Police said, he approached the couple and asked them where they were

from and then told them to cross the street or he would kill them.

Fearing for their safety the couple made their way across the street.

A passing motorist and neighbor saw them and waved them into her car. She

then drove the couple to the home of their son who lived a short distance

away.

Another neighbor who said they saw McManus threaten the couple called

911 and directed police to McManus’ home.

Officers arrived at his home later that afternoon to interview him. He

was taken into custody and later released.

McManus will be arraigned on Friday and at that time Fell will meet

with McManus’s lawyer and the judge and figure out the best way to

resolve the case, Fell said.

If convicted on all counts McManus could face a maximum of eight years

in prison.